Harry Potter and the Warlock's Coven
by ArgentRoseSableWolf
Summary: PostOOTP. Dumbledore promised to stop hiding things from Harry, has he?  And what secrets may be hidden from them both?  Join Harry as he discovers that defeating Voldemort may be only the beginning. Rated M for future chapters.
1. Prologue

**Harry Potter and the Warlock's Coven**

**Prologue**

_January 12, 1996_  
_11:03 PM_  
_Grimmauld Place, London_

Two women walked quietly down the dark London street. Looking at them, you would never guess that they were related, let alone mother and daughter. The woman on the left was tall, almost six feet. She was dark-haired, with deep blue eyes and a very patrician carriage and was wrapped in a cloak of dark royal blue with a black fur collar. It would be difficult to guess her age, but looking at her, anyone would recognize that she was a mature woman, somewhere between her late 30's and early 50's.

The woman to her right, on the other hand, was a very different matter. Much shorter, perhaps 5 foot 4 inches, and a good bit younger, she looked to be somewhere in her early twenties. She had bright purple hair, electric pink eyes, and seemingly boundless energy. She didn't walk so much as bounced in a forward-moving manner. The best description of her clothes would be tatterdemalion. Tie-dyed jeans, a bright blue tee shirt emblazoned with the name of a band, black leather boots, and a coat that looked as if it was as much patches as fabric.

Walking silently along the street, the women passed a number of shabby houses. While these houses had, apparently, once been rather stately townhomes, both the houses and the neighborhood had clearly gone to seed. Some of the houses were empty, some appeared to have been broken up into apartments, as there were scattered lights in various windows. Clattering noises and rather unappealing smells permeated the area crowning the overall impression of decay.

Continuing past these houses to the end of the street, the two women stopped at a pair of gates set in a high wooden fence. Beyond the fence was what appeared to be an industrial area. Large sections of flat pavement were interspersed with peeling and decaying warehouses. Patches of grass growing between cracks in the pavement, and peeling paint on the sides of the buildings, showed that it had been many years since this area had been in use.

The older woman looked around, wrinkled her nose, and turned to her daughter. In a low but rich voice, she said, "Nymphadora, are you _certain_ this is where your cousin said to bring me?"

The younger woman winced at her given name, but clearly saw no point in making an issue of it with her mother. Obviously, she had lost that argument too often in the past. She simply nodded and said, "This is it, Mum. He said, down to the end of the street and wait by the gates. Beyond that, your guess is as good as mine."

A rattling noise from the gate made both women jump slightly. The younger pulled what appeared to be a wand from her coat pocket, and stepped in front of her mother. Looking around her, she finally found the source of the noise. A large black dog had squeezed its way out through the gates, and was now sitting on its haunches looking up at them. As the dog made an odd wuffling noise, the younger woman dropped her hand onto his head, and ruffled his ears.

"Wotcher, Padfoot. So, finally decided to join us?"

Padfoot looked up at her, and yipped several times, a strange sound coming from such a large dog. Nymphadora's brow wrinkled in thought, and then her face cleared in apparent understanding. She muttered a couple of indecipherable phrases under her breath and made a few quick motions with her wand, which left tracks of green and yellow sparks in the air. Staring at the patterns for a moment, she then turned and looked back down at the dog.

"All clear, Siri. No one else on the street, no traces of magic beyond the normal background noise for London."

The dog shifted slightly, and then suddenly there was a man standing where the dog had been an instant before. He was tall, thin, with grey eyes and long black hair. He was not dressed for the cold January night, wearing only a dark shirt and trousers. He looked at Nymphadora and smiled, a slight twinkle in his eyes. "Hello, cuz, thanks for bringing your mum 'round. I hate to greet and rush, but would you mind heading straight back to Hogwarts?"

Nymphadora pouted. "Hmph! So that's all I am tonight? Cab and guide service?"

Sirius grinned and swept her into his arms. "Now, Tonksie, no need to be like that. You know I'm always delighted to see you." He let her go and stepped back, his face falling into a more solemn expression. "I know I haven't told you as much as you'd like, but I'm asking you to trust that I have my reasons. I'm sure you have a good idea why I want you back at the castle, though."

Nymphadora grinned back, her mood changing as swiftly as her cousin's. "I've got a good guess, Siri, and I'll do my best to keep an eye on him for you. With that… woman," she made a face like tasting something rotten, "there, I don't blame you for worrying. He and his friends got in safely earlier today, but I'll pop in and check up on them before I head back home. Mum, I'll see you later." She waved to them both, and then disappeared with a small pop.

Sirius then turned his attention to Nymphadora's mother. "Hullo Andy, it's been a while."

Andromeda Tonks looked at Sirius expressionlessly for a moment, and then a slight smile quirked around the corners of her mouth. Stepping forward, she wrapped her arms around him and hugged him tightly. "Siri, you little rogue, what on Earth are you doing dragging me out here at this time of night? And why here? Wouldn't up the road have been a bit more sensible?"

Sirius just grinned at her. "All shall be revealed, my most favourite cousin!"

Andromeda snorted. "Favourite cousin! Considering my two darling sisters, that doesn't exactly enthrall me. It's not like my competition is anything to speak of!"

Sirius' grin fell away. "Unfortunately, they are one of several topics we need to speak of, none of them the most pleasant of choices for conversation. However, first things first." He reached into his pocket and pulled out a piece of parchment. Handing it to Andromeda, he said, "If you'll read this, I'll see about getting you those explanations you deserve."

Andromeda looked down at the parchment in her hand. In her cousin's typical scrawl, it read: _Black Manor can be found at Number One, Grimmauld Place, London._

_**HPatWCHPatWCHPatWCHPatWCHPatWCHPatWCHPatWCHPatWCHPatWCHPatWCHPatWCHPatWCHPatWCHPatWCHPatWCHPatWCHPatWC**_

Looking up from the parchment, she could see that the area behind Sirius had completely transformed. Where the wooden fence and gate had been, an intricate and beautiful work of wrought-iron stood in its place. Through the iron gate, she could see a torch-lined drive wending its way through immaculate lawns. At the top of the drive, a brightly-lit Georgian mansion stood.

She started to speak, only to have Sirius press a finger to her lips. Opening the gate, he motioned for her to precede him. As she passed, he turned and followed, closing the gate. Once they were both through, he took her arm in his and led her up the drive. When they reached the top of the drive, he led her underneath the porte-cochere, and up to the front door. Opening the door, he gestured grandly for her to enter. "Welcome, my dear cousin, to Black Manor."

Andromeda entered, followed closely by Sirius. As he closed and locked the door, she looked around her. She was standing in a grand entry hall, with mahogany-paneled walls and marble flooring. Lit by a grand chandelier, she could see a staircase on the far wall across from her. It rose halfway up the back wall, splitting into two wings, left and right, leading to the house's upper levels. The decorations in the hall were elegant but understated, showing that taste rather than expense had ruled in the decoration. Where Number Twelve was shadowy and oppressive, Number One was austere, but with a hint of warmth.

She turned to Sirius and asked, "Where are we?"

He just smiled at her and said, "I already told you, Black Manor."

"But I thought Black Manor was at…"

"Number Twelve, currently being used as the headquarters of the Order of the Phoenix?"

Andromeda just nodded. She was well aware of the Order, as she and her husband Ted had been members both during Voldemort's first rising, and now at the beginning of his second. Their daughter Nymphadora had been only 7 at the end of the first war, but had been recruited by Albus Dumbledore when he revived the Order the previous summer. She stopped her musings and turned her attention back to her cousin.

"Come now, Andy, you know how little love there was between my grandfather Arcturus and the woman that bore me." Even now, years after her death, Sirius disliked any references to his mother. Some wounds ran deep. "You don't really think the two of them could possibly have lived in the same house, do you? Number Twelve is the Dower House, where my parents lived after their marriage. This was my grandfather's house, left to me along with his other possessions."

Andromeda was now thoroughly confused. "But I thought your mother had disinherited you? I've seen the family tapestry, with both of our names burned off of it."

Sirius laughed. "No, what you've seen is an exercise in my mother's delusions of grandeur. Come with me."

He led Andromeda off to the left and down a hallway. As she looked around her at the decoration, seeing woven tapestries, landscape paintings, and small statuary, she was struck by something which appeared to be missing.

"Siri, there are no portraits here."

"No, there aren't," Sirius replied as they walked down the hall. "From what I've read in Grandfather Arcturus' journals, he had an intense desire for privacy. The only portraits in the Manor are found in the Hall of Ancestors, in the east wing. It seems that he was actually responsible for many of the portraits placed in the Dower House, as a way of keeping tabs on the occupants."

Near the end of the hall, Sirius opened a door on the left. They entered, and Andromeda found herself in a huge library. The room spanned two floors, and was larger than the school library at Hogwarts. There were large chandeliers, huge windows with burgundy drapes, and tables and chairs scattered around the main floor. Floor-to-ceiling bookcases lined most walls, with library ladders, and a walkway with a rail on the second level, and spiral staircases between the levels in opposite corners of the room.

Sirius walked with Andromeda towards the left wall where there was an open space between the bookcases, and two great windows. Between the windows was a huge formal desk. On the wall behind the desk was a large tapestry, showing a family tree. Sirius led Andromeda around the desk, and up to the tapestry.

Andromeda looked up at the tapestry in front of her. Like its counterpart at Number Twelve, it had the family name, motto, and coat of arms at the top. There, the resemblance ended. This tapestry was much larger and more ornate. It showed many more family members, going back over a thousand years. And unlike the tapestry at Number Twelve, there were no scorch marks in place of names.

Catching her breath, Andromeda's eyes followed the family lines down the right-hand side of the tapestry. There, between her sisters' names, was her own. **Andromeda (Black) Tonks**. A double line of gold embroidery connected her name to that of her husband, **Theodore Tonks. **Below both of their names, a single golden line led down to the name of her daughter, **Nymphadora Cassiopeia (Black) Tonks**. Andromeda just stared for a moment, then turned to Sirius. "How?"

Sirius just shrugged. "My mother disowned me from her family when I ran away, just as Uncle Cygnus did to you when you married Ted. What no one ever seemed to take into account, was that neither of them were from the senior line of the family. During and after both actions, the Head of the Noble and Most Ancient House of Black was Arcturus, my paternal grandfather. Apparently, he disagreed with both of his cousins' actions, and refused to uphold the banishments. He also seems to have regarded your marriage as legitimate, and accepted your daughter as a legitimate Black heir. What you've seen at the Dower House is my mother's fit of pique at a copy of the family tapestry. The original hangs here, and she and Cygnus never had either access, or the authority, to make their pronouncements stick."

Andromeda just looked dumbfounded. "When did you discover this? And why does everyone believe the other house is the Black family home, and that tapestry is accurate?"

"Let me answer your questions in order. I discovered this last summer, when I made my way to the Glasgow branch of Gringotts after Hogwarts let out for the summer. I was transported to the London branch by the Goblins, and referred to the Wills and Trusts Department. As you may remember, my grandfather Arcturus died in 1991. At that time, Bellatrix and I were both in Azkaban, and you hadn't spoken to anyone in the family for years. Narcissa, bless her black little heart, had tried to claim the Family Trust for that ferret son of hers, but Arcturus' will denied her. According to Bonecruncher, the Goblin in charge of the department, it scorched them both, burning their greedy little fingers," Sirius chuckled in remembrance.

When I appeared in the department, Bonecruncher had me try to open the will. I'm not sure which of us was more surprised when I succeeded. I would have thought he'd have blocked me from the will as well, being imprisoned as a Death Eater and traitor to Lily and James. It wasn't until I read his journals that I found my brother Regulus had ranted too much to Mother at the Dower House about my refusals to join Voldemort. He left me the benefit of the doubt, and let the Family magick judge me when I approached the will. In any case, the will was read on the spot, and I found myself sole heir to Arcturus."

"Apparently he never approved of the hobby some of our family have had in the past of backing various Dark Lords, and had an absolute disgust for Voldemort, at least according to his journals. The old man was neither Light nor Dark, but very definitely Grey. Consequently, he left the lot, the Trust, properties, and the Family, to me or my heir, with the proviso that you and your family be taken care of. I think he was secretly proud of both of us for standing up to our parents. Regardlessly, I obeyed his wishes when I accepted the inheritance. The next time you or Dora check your vaults, I think you'll be very pleasantly surprised."

Andromeda just gaped at him. "You mean…"

Sirius raised his right hand, the back of it facing towards her. There was a shimmer on his forefinger, and a heavy silver ring with a carved black stone appeared on it. Andromeda had no problem recognizing the Black Family Ring, and immediately curtsied to the ground, her head bowed. "My Lord."

Sirius grabbed her arms, pulled her to her feet, and roughly embraced her. "None of that nonsense, cousin, at least not between us." He grinned again. "I can think of a few of our relations I wouldn't mind doing that to, however."

Andromeda laughed. "I imagine you could give both my sisters, and their bastard husbands, collective apoplexy if you told them. If you ever do, make sure I'm there, or at least have a chance to see the Pensieve memory!"

Sirius laughed along with her, and then turned more solemn. "Before I answer your second question, and we move on to other matters, there's something I have to ask of you. I hate to do it, Andy, but there are lives on the line, ours among them. I need your solemn vow to keep the matters we are about to discuss secret."

Andromeda stood looking at her cousin for several minutes. She'd always been closer to him than anyone else in her family, despite the difference in their ages. She had been the one that he came to when the words or actions of his parents cut deeply, or when he was punished for failing to conform to their expectations. And it was she, already planning her elopement with Ted, who had advised him in his sixth year at Hogwarts to abandon his family, after their Uncle Alphard died and left Sirius with enough money to finish his education on his own. All her life, he had loved and trusted her. Her decision, she found, was easy.

Kneeling, she took his right hand in both of hers. "I, Andromeda Black Tonks, swear on my life and magick to keep all knowledge imparted to me by Sirius, Lord Black; confidential, except under such circumstances as he may allow. I furthermore pledge him my full and unqualified allegiance, as Lord of my House."

Sirius smiled down at her. "I, Sirius, Lord Black, accept the oath of Andromeda Black Tonks. There, now that's done, let's have a seat." He raised her to her feet, and then seated himself at the desk. Andromeda walked back around and took a seat in one of the chairs in front of the desk.

Sirius folded his hands in front of himself; he looked every inch the head of one of the oldest and most powerful families in the Wizarding world, the family tapestry behind him simply adding to the aura of power and authority. "To answer your second question, at least in part, when Arcturus died, Black Manor fell under a Goblin ward that he'd arranged with Bonecruncher. Apparently it's their version of the Fidelius Charm and as you'd expect from the goblins it's even more secure in certain ways. As soon as the ward was raised, everyone forgot not only where the Manor was, but that it even existed. They all believed, as I did then, that the Dower House was the family home. I didn't learn otherwise until I put on the Ring, at which point the Secret passed to me as the heir."

Andromeda nodded. "All right, I understand that. But why haven't you told the Order?"

Sirius sighed. "Explaining that is going to take a while. Before I can, I need you to look over these." He picked up a small pile of folders from the desk and passed them to her. "Once you've read them, then we can discuss things further." Sirius leaned back in his chair, and stared aimlessly at the ceiling. Andromeda opened the folders, and began to read.

**_HPatWCHPatWCHPatWCHPatWCHPatWCHPatWCHPatWCHPatWCHPatWCHPatWCHPatWCHPatWCHPatWCHPatWCHPatWCHPatWCHPatWC_**

A little over two hours later, Andromeda closed the last folder and set it back down on the desk in front of her. For a while she just sat and considered everything that she had just read. Then, she looked up at Sirius and cleared her throat.

"Well, I now more or less understand the answer to the rest of my second question, but it's a lot to take in. I begin to see where you're going with things, but are you sure this," she picked up the scarlet folder from the pile, "is such a good idea?"

Sirius shrugged. "In what way? The options are limited. You know the requirements of Harry's position that will come into play on his sixteenth birthday. Whose choice would you argue with? James'? That bond was formed when Harry was still in the cradle. You saw it yourself. Lily's? The girl's mother was her oath-bound sister, Harry's godmother, and possibly the strongest Seer since Ravenclaw. I don't know about you, but I was never fool enough to argue with Fire and Ice when their minds were made up! Mine? I realize you don't know the girl at all, but trust me when I say that in some ways she's a better match than the other two combined."

Andromeda sighed. "I know, I'm just afraid." She looked Sirius in the eye, her fears written on her face. "Is there any hope for happiness for any of them in this, let alone all of them? They're being forced into exactly the kind if situation that you and I ran away from. This is exactly the kind of thing I promised myself I'd never do."

"Harry doesn't run from his problems, he faces up to them. Little beggar has more courage and character than I have now, let alone what I had at his age! As for happiness, there's more hope than you might think. Remember, I've watched three of them interacting for the past several weeks now. There's an ease there, a familiarity that's almost frightening in its subtlety. As for the fourth, you'd be surprised. From all I've heard and seen, there's far more to her than anyone realizes."

Andromeda just nodded. "I'll have to take your word for this, as I've not had the opportunity to see any of them together. So, all this leaves me with is one final question. Why are you telling all this to me, Siri? There's nothing here that you can't handle on your own…"

Sirius just looked down at his hands folded in front of him. After a time, he looked up and met Andromeda's eyes. She almost recoiled at the haunted pain that she saw in them.

"I've seen the Grim, Andy," he said barely audibly.

Andromeda's hand flew to her mouth, covering it. "Siri, no!!" She leapt from her chair, flew around the desk, and dropped to the floor at his feet, taking both his hands in hers. "I thought that family curse had skipped you. How long now?"

"Since Azkaban. I think being exposed to the Dementors for all those years either increased my sensitivity, or weakened the walls between me and its world. It's been lurking at the edges of my dreams for years now. Since Christmas, though, it's gotten much worse. The Grim stands like a wall between Harry and me in my dreams. I see it every night. I don't think I've been able to hide my mood shifts from Harry, though I doubt he knows the cause. From the other elements in the dreams, I won't see another holiday season. In fact, I doubt I'll live to see his next birthday."

Andromeda just buried her face in Sirius' lap and wept. Her favourite cousin, her little brother in every way that mattered, the only member of her birth family she loved, was doomed. Sirius said nothing, just stroked her hair with one hand as she cried. As her sobs died away, he reached down, and raised her head with one hand beneath her chin.

"I'm sorry to dump all this on you so suddenly, Andy, but I don't have any other choice. You're the only member of the Family who has the necessary experience that I trust. So," the tone of his voice became more formal, "Andromeda Black Tonks, I call upon you as Lord of House Black to fulfill your oaths to me, my heir, and our Family."

Andromeda wiped her hand across her eyes. Her back straightened as she knelt at his feet. Her eyes blazed with a fierce pride. She looked every inch the scion of an old and powerful family. "Command me, My Lord."

Sirius smiled. "I will not command, only request. Andromeda Black Tonks, I ask that you accept the burden of Regent of House Black, with all the duties and responsibilities that that rank entails. Will you accept this task?"

Andromeda smiled back at him. She took his right hand in both of hers, and raised it to her lips, kissing the back of it. "With all my heart, My Lord and love, I accept."

Sirius raised her to her feet. Reaching down, he opened a drawer in the desk and removed a small box. From it he took a ring, similar to his own, but slightly smaller. He placed it on her right hand, where it shimmered for a moment, then disappeared.

"The House and I accept your Oath, Andromeda, Regent of House Black. Guard our House and Family in all duty and honour."

"Upon my life and my magick, I so swear." A bright aura fluoresced around them both, and then faded, signifying the oath sworn between them.

Sirius pulled her to her feet, and into a tight embrace. After a few moments, they split apart. He grinned at her.

"There, that's done with now. I suggest that you and Ted move in here within the next week, and you begin to familiarize yourself with the house. Your ring will act as a portkey here, just use the phrase, "Toujours Pur". He reached into the same drawer the ring had come from, and removed a list on parchment. "This is a list of books you'll need to at least review, in preparation for the tasks ahead. You'll find them all here in the library. I'll come and see you when I can, without raising suspicions. Thank you, Andy, you've taken an incredible weight off of my mind."

She leaned forward, kissing him gently on the cheek. "For you, Siri my brother, anything." She set her hands on her hips and a mock frown on her face. "Now, exactly _how_ am I to get home? My husband is likely to be quite irked with you, keeping a married woman out so late with no chaperone."

Sirius guffawed, the first true rolling belly laugh she'd heard from him since James and Lily died. "Oh Andy, don't ever change!" He picked up a quill and handed it to her. "Here's a Portkey to your home, I assume you're still in the same house?" At her nod, he said, "The key is "Home".

Andromeda leaned forward again, kissing Sirius once more. "Take care of yourself Siri." With a small smile, she whispered "Home", and disappeared from the room.

**_HPatWCHPatWCHPatWCHPatWCHPatWCHPatWCHPatWCHPatWCHPatWCHPatWCHPatWCHPatWCHPatWCHPatWCHPatWCHPatWCHPatWC_**

**_Authors' Notes_**

**_Wolf:_**

Wow, almost 4500 words for the prologue, that ran a bit longer than I expected. For those who are interested, this will be a Harry/Hermione/Luna/Tonks pairing. I don't know how often this will update, but I'll try to make it at least once a month. I'm going to try to work on only one primary story at a time, but can't make any promises. My twisted little mind tends to run off on its own tangents, with little or no control on my part. If you don't believe me, just ask Rose. :)

**_Rose:_**

Hey! I'm primarily the beta on this story. That and a little cattle prod when Wolf starts running off on other tangents and plot bunnies. :-)


	2. Chapter 1:Here's Another Fine Mess

Disclaimer: We do not own Harry Potter. We are simply borrowing him and his friends and will put them away neatly when we're done playing with them. Any characters you recognize are the property of JKR and various corporations. Sorry we missed the disclaimer in the prologue. Bad authors, bad authors, no author biscuits!

**Chapter One: Here's Another Fine Mess You've Gotten Me Into!**

_Just outside Platform 9 ¾  
__Sunday, June 23, 1996  
__4:40PM_

Hermione watched as Harry waved farewell, turned, and walked out of the station, his aunt, uncle, and cousin following in his wake, like two tankers and an old tramp steamer accompanying a pilot boat out of the harbor. Once he was out of sight, she allowed a hiss of pain to escape from between her clenched teeth. Ron's head snapped towards her in surprise, and at the same time she felt two arms slide under hers from behind and pull her gently back to rest against someone. From the height and shape of the body she found herself leaning against, she had no problem recognizing Luna Lovegood.

"Hermione, what's wrong?" asked Ron in his rather typically clueless fashion.

Hermione heard a snort from near her left ear. "Nothing, of course, Ronald," came Luna's dreamy voice in response. "It couldn't possibly be a reaction to hiding the pain of a half-healed wound from Harry. I'm sure it was just surprise at the flock of Nackerflits that have started nesting in the station roof over there."

"Nacker…? Nesting… huh?" said Ron. Hermione thought he looked even more confused than he'd been a moment before, if that was possible.

Hermione just sighed. "Never mind Ron, I'll be fine. Look, your Mum and Dad are waiting for you by the platform entrance."

They all turned and saw that Arthur had joined Molly and Ginny Weasley and they were now standing by the entrance to Platform 9 ¾, beckoning to Ron to join them. Ron made his goodbyes to the girls, assuring them he would write, and, rubbing the scars on his arm, headed off to join his parents. The four of them then left the platform, presumably to Floo home to the Burrow.

As soon as they had gone, Hermione noticed Tonks hurrying over towards them from where she had been standing with Mad-Eye Moody and the others having a "brief word" with Harry's guardians. From some of the things she had heard Tonks saying while the two of them had been in the Hospital Wing at Hogwarts, Hermione could only imagine what those "words" might have consisted of. She hoped the talk wouldn't do more harm than good; Vernon Dursley did not strike her as a man who took criticism well, and the violent shade of purple he had turned during the conversation left her feeling very concerned.

"Hermione, you've gone right pale. Are you sure you're OK?" Hermione was jolted out of her reverie by Tonks' question. Even before she could answer, Tonks stepped to her left side and took her by the arm. Without a pause, Luna slid to Hermione's right, and continued to help support her by maintaining a grip on her right arm.

"No, I don't think she's all right in the slightest," Luna's said in a matter-of fact tone. "I'm sure that her pain has been growing for some time now, but good luck getting her to admit it. Hermione, you must be one of the most stubborn people I have ever met."

Only the realization of how much it would hurt kept Hermione from laughing. That kind of comment from Luna was hilarious, completely daft, and utterly in keeping with what she had come to expect from her. Over the last week that Hermione had spent in the hospital wing, she had gotten to know the young Ravenclaw a great deal better; Luna had taken to spending quite a bit of time keeping Hermione company while she was confined to bed.

Hermione had learned that Luna was not nearly as vague as she appeared. On the contrary, she had a keen wit, which shouldn't have been surprising in a member of Ravenclaw House, and was also remarkably perceptive. One night Luna had told her about the conversation that she'd had with Harry shortly after their return from the Department of Mysteries. At the end of that discussion, Hermione marveled that Luna had been able to see Harry as clearly in one brief conversation as Hermione had come to over a five-year friendship.

In truth, Hermione had been glad of Luna's attention for the past week. She had awoken whimpering from a dream of the events in the DoM that had rapidly turned into a nightmare. She'd dreamt that she was paralyzed from a spell, while a grinning Antonin Dolohov had been slowly stripping her clothes from her, leering and making lurid comments all the time. She'd woken up just as he'd lowered himself onto her helpless form, his intentions clear. She'd found herself held tightly with her head pillowed softly; looking up, she'd discovered that Luna was holding her and softly crooning a wordless tune, with Hermione's head resting on her breast,.

It turned out that Luna had refused to leave when Madame Pomfrey had declared visiting hours at an end, stating simply that "Hermione would need her that night." Luna then proceeded to ignore any further orders or questions from the medi-witch. Poppy, not being at all used to being treated that way by a student, had finally left her alone, possibly out of sheer shock.

To try to distract Hermione from her nightmare, Luna had begun to talk to her about her past. After getting used to Luna's somewhat stream-of-consciousness way of speaking, Hermione found herself learning a lot. She'd discovered that Luna's comments about strange creatures were largely an affectation, picked up from discussing them with her father, who truly believed in them. Those comments, and her somewhat dotty way of speaking, were defense mechanisms; much like Hermione's own know-it-all attitude has been when she first arrived at Hogwarts. She didn't know yet what these defenses were protecting, but was confident that the younger girl would tell her when she was ready to. Hermione in her turn had found herself sharing more of her own history with Luna than she had with almost anyone else.

While Hermione was wool-gathering, Luna had continued her gentle berating. "Clearly your wound is acting up again. I wish you would be reasonable and tell us these things. Do I really need to treat you the same way I did that first night?"

Hermione blushed as she remembered the events following her nightmare and their talks. She had been wincing and clutching at her chest, when Luna asked if she was in pain. When Hermione had nodded, Luna had slipped out of the bed and picked up a small jar from the bedside table. Explaining that it was an ointment Madame Pomfrey had left, combining a pain relief potion with a salve to keep the wound from cracking, Luna had stripped back Hermione's bedclothes and opened her hospital gown, leaving her lying naked on the bed. When Hermione blushed and stammered about not being comfortable being so exposed, Luna had blithely stripped herself, commenting that they were now on equal footing, and proceeded to spread the ointment liberally on Hermione's body. Hermione had been even more shocked when, once she finishing her tending, Luna had slipped, still naked, into the bed with her, wrapped her up in her arms, and started crooning the same wordless tune again. Before she could even muster the energy to protest, Hermione had found herself drifting off into a dreamless sleep.

These events had repeated themselves each night that Hermione remained in the Hospital Wing. Any attempt on her part to confront Luna over it had been futile, as the dreamy blonde simply failed to acknowledge anything that was said, and continued on in her own fashion. Hermione had found herself beginning to have a reaction that was decidedly not healer/patient related, and suspected that she was not the only one. Clearly, there were some conversations that needed to be had, sooner rather than later.

Once more shaking herself free of her memories and drawing breath to respond to Luna and Tonks, Hermione found herself derailed yet again by a call of "Hermione?" from behind her. The three girls turned, and Hermione recognized the forms of her parents moving quickly towards them. She couldn't help but notice the looks of concern on both of their faces.

Dan Granger was tall, well-built, with bright blue eyes and the same bushy brown hair as his daughter, while Emma Granger was short, barely 5 feet tall, slim, with brown eyes and long brown hair that tumbled down her back all the way to her knees. As both of them stopped and looked up and down at her, Hermione hid her groans. While her father looked mildly worried, her mother's sharp eyes had a look she knew all too well. It was Emma Granger's own patented "I know there's a damn sight more going on than you've told us, and one way or another I'll have it out of you!" look. Hermione knew her own strength of will, but also knew that if her mother was _**that**_ determined, she didn't stand a chance.

"Hi Mum, Hi Dad," said Hermione, trying gamely to stave off the approaching confrontation. As her mother opened her mouth to respond, Hermione heard the sound of someone else clearing their throat. Looking slightly to her right, she saw that they had been joined by two other adults. One was a stately-dressed black-haired woman nearly as tall as her father; "My Mum," Tonks whispered in her left ear. The other was a medium-height roundish man, with thinning blonde hair and ink-stained brown robes; "My father," Luna whispered in her right.

Andromeda Tonks smiled as she spoke, addressing the Grangers. "My name is Andromeda Tonks, and I'm Nymphadora's mother." She gestured at her daughter on Hermione's left, and Hermione could feel Tonks wincing at the use of her first name. "This is Edmund Lovegood, Luna's father. Would I be correct in assuming that you two are Hermione's parents?"

Handshakes were exchanged, along with introductions ("Dan and Emma Granger") and responses ("Charmed," "Delighted to make your acquaintance.") As Mrs. Granger drew breath to begin her inquisition, Hermione's exhaled sharply, and her knees began to buckle. Only Luna and Tonks supporting her kept her from falling to the ground.

Hermione's vision was beginning to blur when she heard Mrs. Tonks' voice again. "Nymphadora, please take Hermione and Luna home. I'll be along shortly with everyone else." She barely felt Tonks' arms slide around her middle and take Luna by the hands, when she suddenly lost consciousness.

_**HPatWC HPatWC HPatWC HPatWC HPatWC HPatWC HPatWC HPatWC**_

Andromeda smiled with a touch of pride as she watched her daughter look around to verify that there were no Muggles in immediate view, take both girls in hand, and disapparate. Side-along apparation with one person was difficult enough, but to do it with two demonstrated a level of power and control that was unusual, to say the least. Shaking off the distracting thought, she turned her attention back to her companions, and not a moment too soon.

Emma Granger was not happy in the slightest. It had become clear to her over the past week that there were things going on in her daughter's life that she was unaware of, and she did not like that one bit. She had come with her husband to pick Hermione up for the summer, firmly intending to get some answers, only to find matters rapidly sliding out of her control. First Hermione tried to dodge, then she nearly collapsed, then she disappeared in the arms of two complete strangers. Drawing breath, Emma decided that a somewhat more direct approach was called for.

"All right, what the bloody hell is going on! First my daughter looks like she's going to collapse, and then she vanishes without so much as a 'fare-thee-well'. I want some answers, and I want them now!"

Emma's tirade was interrupted by Andromeda's raised hand.

"Mrs. Granger, I know you want answers, and I believe that you are entitled to them. However, this is neither the time nor the place. If you will come with Edmund and me, we'll take you to see the girls, and to see about getting those answers."

Andromeda paused, watching Emma and Dan. She could see several reactions playing over their faces. The first was confusion, understandable from anyone in this situation, let alone Muggles. The second was suspicion. Overpowering them all though, was a clear concern for their daughter's wellbeing. Seeing this, Andromeda's expression softened into a gentle smile.

"Mr. and Mrs. Granger, I can understand that you have no reason to trust me. After all, we've never met before, and frankly, I can't offer you any direct reason why you should. All I can do is assure you that I mean neither you nor Hermione any harm, and to point out that your daughter clearly trusts mine. Please, will you accompany us?"

Dan and Emma looked at each other for several moments, a silent communication typical of those who have long been together passing between them. After a brief silence, they turned back to Andromeda, and nodded.

"Thank you," Andromeda said, extending her right hand towards them. "If you'll take hold of my arm, I'll transport us all to where the girls are staying."

Dan and Emma each grasped hold of Andromeda's arm, as did Edmund Lovegood. Glancing quickly to see that no one was watching them, Andromeda tapped the ring on her right hand, murmured a quick word, and the four of them vanished.

_**HPatWC HPatWC HPatWC HPatWC HPatWC HPatWC HPatWC HPatWC**_

They reappeared in the main entry hall of Black Manor. Dan and Emma did not even try to hide their reactions as they looked around them, eyes wide. While as medical professionals they enjoyed a very comfortable standard of living, the opulence they observed was several orders of magnitude beyond anything they were used to. Their examination was cut short by an interruption from Andromeda.

"Mr. and Mrs. Granger, if you'll follow me, I'll take you to see Hermione."

Following Andromeda up the main staircase and to the right, they soon found themselves walking down a long hallway on the third floor. The fourth doorway on the left was partly open and they heard low voices coming from within. Entering the room, they saw that they were in a richly decorated bedroom; cream coloured walls rose above oak-paneled wainscoting. The large room contained a number of pieces of furniture, including a small table and chair set and several dressers. Dominating all of them was a huge bed, on which they could see Hermione lying with her eyes closed. Sitting on either side of her were Tonks and Luna. As they approached the near side of the bed where Tonks was sitting, Andromeda reached out and touched her daughter's shoulder gently.

"Dora, how is Hermione?"

"She's fine Mum, just exhausted I think. She still has a way to go 'til she's fully recovered. I'm guessing the combination of the long ride back from Hogwarts and trying to hide her state from Harry just wore her out. She fell asleep as soon as we tucked her into the bed." Gesturing towards a small table next to the bed, Tonks pointed out several bottles resting on it. "We've got the potions Poppy gave her right here, and the dosages and frequency as well. The best thing we can do now is let her rest until its time for her next dose. Luna and I'll sit with her and keep an eye on her."

"All right, dear, I'll take Edmund and Mr. and Mrs. Granger down to the library, and try to explain some of what's been happening to them. When Hermione wakes, if she's feeling up to it, perhaps the three of you could join us."

Tonks nodded distractedly, never taking her eyes off Hermione. Andromeda motioned for the other three adults to follow her out of the room. Emma cast one last glance at her daughter in the bed; Hermione was pale, but seemed to be sleeping comfortably. Turning away, she followed the others back out into the hall.

A short time later, the Grangers and Mr. Lovegood found themselves comfortably ensconced in chairs in front of the desk in the library. Andromeda was sitting behind the desk and looking at them with a friendly smile.

"Now, I'm sure you'd like those answers, but first, some refreshment."

Snapping her fingers sharply, she turned to a house elf that appeared beside the desk. "Elly, please serve the tea now." The elf nodded, disappeared briefly, and then reappeared with a large silver tray which she set on the desk. The next several minutes were spent serving everyone with a cup of tea and a small selection of cakes and sandwiches. Once this was accomplished, Andromeda sat back in her chair and addressed the Grangers.

"Now, Mr. and Mrs. Granger…"

"Please," Dan interrupted, "its Dan and Emma. Formality isn't really called for, under the circumstances."

"Very well, I'm Andy and this is Edmund. I'm sure that you probably have a number of questions about recent events, particularly as they pertain to Hermione. It might simplify things somewhat if you tell me what you've been told so far."

Emma looked at her. "All we know is that Headmaster Dumbledore contacted us shortly before school let out, and informed us that there had been an accident about a week ago, and that Hermione was slightly injured."

Andy snorted. "Yes, I suppose that might cover things—very loosely. Unfortunately, Professor Dumbledore has a tendency not to tell others any more than he can possibly avoid. He may not have wanted to worry you needlessly, but I take a different view. I'll let Hermione go into the details with you later, but in brief there was an incident about a week before school let out. Hermione and five of her friends ended up going to the Ministry building in London hoping to save my cousin who they believed was in danger. It turned out to be a trap, and the six of them were forced into a fight with some very dangerous people. They fought well, taking down some of their opponents and actually managed to aid in the capture of most of them, but in the course of the battle Hermione was seriously injured."

She paused as both of Hermione's parents drew a sharp breath. "There's no need to be worried. At this point, Hermione is in no danger. Her wounds have been cared for and she will make a full recovery, all it will take is time and some potions, I promise you."

"Were the other children hurt?" Emma asked, "No one was killed, were they?"

"The others were all injured, except for Luna, but far less seriously than your daughter. As for deaths, I'm afraid that one of the adults who came to assist the children was killed."

Dan and Emma looked at each other for a moment, and then Dan spoke up.

"How was this allowed to happen? What is going on at that school?! Children in danger—fighting for their lives? What kind of world do you people live in?!"

Andy sighed. "Much the same world as you do, Dan, but both its virtues and vices are often magnified. How much has Hermione told you about the politics of the Wizarding world?"

Dan cocked his head. "Not much. Most of her letters have dealt with her classes and her friends."

"I suspect the name "Harry Potter" has figured prominently among the names of her friends?" Andromeda asked and smiled.

Emma laughed. "Oh yes, for a while, from the letters we were getting, we wondered if she knew anyone else at Hogwarts; she talked so much about him." She sobered. "Was he in this fight too? Is he a problem?"

"Yes, he was in the fight; as for being a problem," Andy shrugged her shoulders, "well, yes and no. Not from any fault of Harry's, you understand, but because he tends to be a catalyst for events around him. He's been a major focal point of Wizarding politics since he was barely a year old, and it's not getting any better for him, poor lad."

Seeing that Dan and Emma were thoroughly confused, she continued. "Let me try to explain. Hmm, you remember the racial tensions and riots in London and Birmingham in the late 80s and early 90s?"

Dan grimaced. "All too well, I was doing contract work for the government at the time, and ended up helping to patch up some of the results—both victims and aggressors."

"Unfortunately, we have a similar conflict in our society as well; only the triggering factor involved isn't race, it is blood purity. The "purebloods" are witches and wizards who can trace their ancestry back at least three generations with no Muggle, that is, non-magical relatives. The majority of these families look down on anyone with Muggle parents or grandparents, and believe that these wizards and witches are inherently inferior. Some, in fact, oppose bringing them into our society at all, while others, the most extreme, advocate removing them from the Wizarding world, violently if necessary.

"You said most of the purebloods look down on witches like Hermione, how prevalent is this view?" Emma asked.

"Well," Andromeda responded, "it's always been there to a certain extent. The oldest families tend towards pureblood marriages and have always exerted the greatest political control over our government. If they spoke candidly, I suspect about 80 percent of them would admit that they look down on Muggles and the Muggleborn. Not all do, obviously; the Weasleys are a good example. They have no Muggles in the family in many generations, but they harbor none of these prejudices. Dumbledore is also unprejudiced, and Muggleborn attendance at Hogwarts has increased since he became Headmaster. As for the more extreme elements, they are much smaller, but substantially more vocal. The violent anti-Muggle groups became most evident during your Second World War. There was a Dark wizard named Friedrich Grindelwald who worked closely with the German government at that time. He's known to Muggle historians as Josef Mengele. He experimented on Muggles and Muggleborn wizards at Auschwitz, pursuing his own theories of magical purity. After Wizarding forces joined Her Majesty's troops in 1945, he fled to Gross-Rosen on the Polish border. It was there that he was confronted by a group of wizards led by Albus Dumbledore. After the battle, the only two survivors were Dumbledore and an Auror named Alastor Moody."

"But I remember reading that they identified Mengele's body in Argentina or Paraguay. He didn't die until the late '70s," Dan objected.

"Really? I don't know who it was, but it wasn't Grindelwald—perhaps a relative?" Andy said. "The battle with Dumbledore's group was decisive, and the body was positively identified by magical means. Moreover, if Grindelwald had survived, he would have come after Dumbledore—not hidden in South America."

"At any rate," things were fairly quiet for the next 30 years, though prejudice against Muggleborns and half-bloods continued in some parts of society. Anti-Muggleborn sentiments began rising again in the early 70s. The flames were fanned with the emergence of a new Dark wizard who called himself Lord Voldemort. He and his followers, known as Death Eaters, created such an aura of fear that people began to be terrified to use his name, and resorted to such euphemisms as "You-Know-Who," and "He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named." The Death Eaters attacked and killed Muggleborns and their families and even targeted Muggles who had nothing to do with the Wizarding world. His reign of terror continued until Halloween 1981, when he attacked a family who had consistently stood against him, the Potters. He killed Lily and James Potter, but was struck down himself when he tried to kill their young son Harry."

Dan looked up. "So, this is where Harry comes into the story?"

Andy nodded. "Yes. He became famous for doing something no one else had been able to do, surviving a curse no one had ever lived through and stopping Lord Voldemort. He disappeared immediately after his parents' deaths, and no one in our world was able to find him, though many tried. The story that was put out officially was that he had been sent into hiding until he reached school age, to protect him from the remaining Death Eaters."

"You don't sound very convinced," Emma said, frowning, "why else would he have disappeared."

"Oh, I'm sure that was part of the reason," Andy replied, and shook her head. "Dumbledore was involved, though, and he rarely has only one reason for his actions. Whatever the reason, though, it did keep him out of the limelight, which may have been for the best. Harry didn't resurface until he began school in 1991, the same year as your daughter. Since then, he has been a lightening rod for events that appear to involve the Death Eaters, culminating in an encounter a little over a year ago, which led to the resurrection of Voldemort. It appears that he was not as dead as people believed. Our government has spent the last year denying his return, but those I trust implicitly have told me otherwise. So, I'm afraid that it's only a matter of time before the cycle of violence worsens again."

Dan and Emma spent some time communing silently with one another, then Dan spoke up. "Andy, we appreciate you being so direct with us. You've told us a great deal more than we've heard from our daughter, and far more than we've been told by her teachers." He sighed, "Much of this news is disturbing, particularly the fact that one of our daughter's friends is a target of terrorists. It's a lot to take in, but I suppose now we have to decide what's in Hermione's best interests. Do we let her continue at Hogwarts, knowing the danger she could be facing, or do we remove her from your world altogether."

Andy shook her head sadly. "I'm afraid you'll find that it's not that simple Dan, for a couple of reasons. First of all, Voldemort hates Muggles as well as the Muggleborn, and desires nothing more than to see them all dead. She wouldn't be at any less risk in the Muggle world, and maybe in greater danger, since she wouldn't be learning how to use her magic. Second, and more importantly, I think you'd have to fight her tooth and nail to take her away from this world. I'm afraid that all three of our daughters are tied to Harry by a magic stronger than anything our world can produce."

Dan just looked confused, while Edmund nodded knowingly. Emma smiled, and looked at Andy. "They love him, don't they?"

Andromeda nodded. "Yes, they do. Speaking for Nymphadora, this has been true for most of her life. My family was always close to the Potters. Although my family, the Blacks, is one of the oldest pureblood lines, I married a Muggleborn wizard, Dora's father, Ted. Unsurprisingly, the family disowned me. My cousin Sirius was James Potter's best friend, and lived with them after running away from his own, equally prejudiced, branch of the Black family. As a result, we've known Harry since he was born, and Dora's loved him almost that long. I can't say how it's been for either of your daughters, but from what Dora says, and what others have told me, they both love him as well."

Edmund spoke up for the first time. "In letters I've had this year from my Luna, she's talked about how accepting Harry has been of her oddities, and how he treats her just like everyone else. Also, she's written about the work he did with both Luna and others, teaching them to defend themselves when the teachers would not. Given how she's been treated most of her life, I suspect this acceptance explains when her feelings began to develop."

Emma spoke up, "In Hermione's case, it's been the better part of the last two years at least, to judge by the conversations I've had with her." Dan looked at her in shock, but she just reached over and patted his cheek gently. "Never mind, dear, these aren't the kind of things a girl usually discusses with her father." Everyone laughed at Dan's pole-axed expression. Even he finally broke down and chuckled.

Just then, a silvery mist flew in from the doorway and landed on the desk. Picking up the piece of parchment left when it vanished, Andy quickly read it and then looked up. "It appears that Hermione is now awake, and the girls will be joining us shortly. I suggest we defer any further discussions until they arrive.

_**HPatWC HPatWC HPatWC HPatWC HPatWC HPatWC HPatWC HPatWC**_

Tonks sat watching Hermione as she slept and thought back to that night at the Department of Mysteries. She'd seen Hermione as they were being evacuated to the Hogwarts infirmary, pale, unconscious and soaked in blood, and her heart had nearly stopped. She'd been terrified. It had been so long since she'd let anyone into her life, that when she thought she might lose them, it had paralyzed her. She wasn't over the fear yet, even though she knew Hermione was getting better all the time. She'd come to mean too much to her—she couldn't bear even the thought of losing her.

Feeling eyes on her, Tonks looked up to find Luna staring at her intently. There was no sign of Luna's usual dreamy expression. Her eyes were sharp, clear and penetrating. Tonks felt as if they were boring into her very soul. She was so lost in that gaze that she actually jumped when Luna spoke.

"So, how long have the two of you been together?"

Tonks gaped at her, her mouth open like a shocked fish.

"Yes, I know that's blunt, even for me," Luna said. "But there is a lot that will need to be said and done over the next few weeks, and very little time now. So, how long has it been?"

Tonks was so flustered by the question, and Luna's demeanor, that she just blurted out the answer. "Since last summer."

"There now, that wasn't so hard, was it?" Luna said as she smiled gently and reached out to take Tonks' hand. "How did it start?"

Tonks looked Luna in the eye, and suddenly felt that she could tell the blonde Ravenclaw anything. "Well…"

_**Flashback**_

_12 Grimmauld Place  
__August 6__th__, 1995  
__10PM_

Tonks looked up from the bed where she'd been crying when she heard a knock at her door. Wiping her arm over her eyes, she called out. "C-c-come in."

Hermione stepped in, closed the door and sat down next to Tonks. "Are you all right?" she asked, touching the young woman's hand lightly, "I was walking past the door and heard you crying."

Tonks forced a smile onto her face. She had no idea until Hermione told her later how ghastly it looked. "I'll be O.K. Today was just a shock, seeing Harry again."

"Again?"

"Oh, of course, you'd have no way of knowing. The last time I saw Harry, other than from a distance, was just before Uncle James and Aunt Lily died."

"I didn't know you were related to them," Hermione said, "Harry said he had no relatives except the Dursleys."

"I'm not, really. But Sirius is, or I guess was, Mum's cousin and the only member of her family that would talk to her. Dad's family was great, but they're Muggles and you know how hard it is to talk about some things around them. So we spent a lot of time with Sirius. But since he was one of James' best friends we were always with the Potters; after a while I just started calling them Aunt and Uncle."

Hermione raised an eyebrow. "Then you've known Harry his whole life!"

"Well, until his parents were killed. I met him first the day after he was born. Mum took me to see Aunt Lily at St. Mungo's even though I was awfully young, only 5 or so. We went up to her room, and she was lying in bed holding him. She told me to climb up onto the bed next to her, and laid Harry down in my lap. He was so small, with just a little tuft of black hair on his head, and he looked so sweet, sleeping there. Then he woke up, opened his eyes and looked at me. That look went right through me; I remember it even now. I was lost in his eyes, almost like we'd made some kind of connection. Finally Mum shook me when he started to squirm, and I gave him back to Aunt Lily."

"That was just the beginning. I spent every moment possible with the Potters after that. Sirius used to grumble that he could never get Harry away from me, but Aunt Lily just laughed at him. That next year and a bit were the happiest time of my life. There was nothing I loved more than playing with Harry, or even changing his nappies! When they were killed on Halloween 1981, it was like my world had ended. Uncle James and Aunt Lily were dead, and Harry had disappeared. I begged everyone to tell me where my Harry-bear was, but no one knew, or if they did they wouldn't say. I was heart-broken. I think that night was what drove me to become an Auror, because of the family I'd lost. I'd finally had people in my life other than Mom and Dad that didn't look at me like I was a freak, and then they were gone."

Hermione looked puzzled. "What do you mean, like a freak?"

Tonks sniffled and ducked her head. "You've never seen my base form; you'd understand if you had. I don't let anyone see me like that anymore; I don't need that pain. But my talents didn't develop until I was about 10, so up until I met Harry, everyone stared at me, and I had sort of gotten used to it. It still hurt, but I was used to it. Then Harry came along and he actually seemed to _like_ how I looked. You can't imagine what losing that was like."

Hermione laid her hand Tonks' shoulder, "Would you show me, Tonks?" The metamorph automatically shook her head. "Please, Tonks, I want to see you as you really are."

Tonks looked closely at Hermione. She saw no sign in the other girl's face of anything but caring. After a minute of silent thought, she nodded, and stood up. She scrunched up her face, and her body blurred. Suddenly, she was a few inches taller; her bubble-gum pink hair had turned completely white, and grown down below her waist. Her hips widened a hair, becoming rounder and softer, and her bust shrank just slightly. Her heart-shaped face had narrowed, and her cheekbones and nose looked very much like her mother's. Her skin was so pale it was almost translucent. She stood there with her eyes tightly shut, afraid to see Hermione's reaction. Hermione would think she was a freak—everyone did.

She jumped slightly when she felt Hermione's hands on her shoulders, and opened her eyes. Hermione's eyes were staring widely into hers; she knew what Hermione was seeing. In this, her natural form, her eyes were prismatic, the irises constantly swirling and shifting between all colours. Her eyes were the part of her that had always caused the most comment, all of it negative.

After a moment Hermione opened her mouth, "A freak? Tonks, I think you're the most beautiful woman I've ever seen."

Hermione's hand suddenly flew to her mouth, and she blushed, obviously surprised at what she had said out loud. Tonks didn't know whether to laugh at her expression, or drop her jaw in sheer disbelief of Hermione's words. The two of them just stood there, staring at each other for a while.

Finally, Hermione cleared her throat. "All right, I can understand that you were devastated at losing Harry. But you have him back now, so why are you crying?"

Tonks sighed. "I'd seen him a few times before this summer, just from a distance, though, not to talk with. I was at the World Cup last year, and at the Tri-Wizard Tournament. You wouldn't remember me even if you had seen me. I was working, so I was in different forms. But then, I went with Mad-Eye and the others to pick Harry up today. I spoke with him, and he was polite, but he clearly didn't remember me!"

"Of course he didn't, Tonks," Hermione said gently, "he would remember your base form, not the way you usually look these days."

"If he remembered me at all, which he wouldn't because he was barely more than a year old. I know, I know, but…" she choked and fell back down on the bed sobbing again. Hermione sat next to her and rubbed her back gently. After a few minutes, Tonks sat back up and wiped her eyes.

"Sorry about the waterworks. It just hard to see someone you lo-care about, and not have them know who you are."

Hermione's eyes widened at Tonks' near slip, and without thinking, blurted out. "You're in love with him too!"

Tonks looked up suddenly. "Too?"

Hermione blushed. "Oh dear, I hadn't really meant to say that—not that I mind you knowing. I've been feeling… differently about Harry for the last couple of years. I kept hoping that he'd ask me to the Yule Ball, but I finally accepted Viktor's invitation when he never did. Then this year he went out with Cho Chang, of all people! I still love him, but I've realized that he just doesn't see me that way. I'm just Hermione, his bookworm friend, not a girl he could love."

Tonks wrapped Hermione in her arms and held her as the younger girl began to sob herself. She shook her head and sighed, "Aren't we the pair. Both of us in love with a clueless young man and both of us too afraid to say anything for fear of how he'll react. Believe me, Hermione, I understand. I'm terrified to let him see my real form, afraid he won't remember me, or that he'll hate what he sees."

She felt more than heard Hermione snort at that. "I don't understand what you're afraid of," she muttered into Tonks' shoulder, "I can't imagine anyone objecting to waking up to see you looking like that. I know I certainly wouldn't." Hermione looked up suddenly with a deer in the headlights expression, realizing that her mutter had been louder than she intended.

_**End Flashback**_

"And that's how it started. Two friends commiserating over their unrequited loves, offering each other support and comfort. After a while, the affection started to become more… physical."

Tonks and Luna both jumped at the sharp laugh from beside them. "Physical, yeah, that's one word for it, Dora."

They looked down, and saw Hermione awake and looking at them. Tonks blushed and started to look away. Hermione reached up to her.

"Dora, stop that. I'm not upset or embarrassed. I'd been meaning to have a talk with Luna; I'd just expected to be awake for all of it."

Turning to Luna, Hermione added, "That's the story of our relationship. We love one another, and we're both still in love with Harry. And unless I'm greatly mistaken, we're not the only two people in this room who are."

Tonks looked up suddenly at that, and now it was Luna, unflappable Luna, who was blushing slightly.

"No, I don't think you _are_ mistaken." Luna said quietly, "I do feel something for Harry, though I'm not sure what to call it. I care for him, and I think it may be more than as just a friend." She looked down for a moment, then looked back up. "And it's not just Harry. I've become much closer to you as well, Hermione, over the past week or so. I'm attracted to you, and wouldn't mind the opportunity to see where that might lead. I'd also like to get to know you better as well, Dora. I think the three of us have more in common than one might guess."

She thought for a moment then looked at the others. "I believe those similarities are part of the reason we all have strong feelings for Harry. It's because he _sees_ us. Not just the faces that we show the rest of the world, but _us_. He tries to see people for who they are on the inside, and is willing to accept them for that."

Tonks nodded. "I think you're on to something there, Luna, and I really do want to talk about it. For the record, I think you're a very interesting person, and would like to get to know you better as well. But before we do there are a few other items on the agenda. Like Hermione's potions and her parents."

"My parents! Oh Merlin, are they here, what happened? Oh they're going to be so upset about my still being hurt. What am I going to tell them?" Hermione started to panic but Luna rubbed her back and began to croon softly as Tonks reached for several of the bottles on the bedside table.

"Potions first, then we'll get to your folks, who are downstairs with Mum. Open up!"

Hermione groaned as she sat up slightly with Luna's help. "Ugh, not again. Don' wanna!" She crossed her arms and puffed out her lower lip in an exaggerated pout. Both Tonks and Luna started giggling, and Tonks shook her finger at Hermione, a mock scowl on her face.

"Now, young lady, none of that sulking, or Mama Dora will have to spank!"

Luna felt Hermione stiffen up against her, and her breathing quicken. _'Hmm,'_ Luna thought, _'this is something we'll have to revisit in future.'_ With a small grin, she took one of the bottles from Tonks.

"Now Hermione, do you really want me to show Dora how we did this in the hospital wing?"

Hermione's eyes widened and she grabbed the bottle quickly, and drank down the dose. Tonks handed her the other bottles, looked at Luna, and chuckled.

"You'll have to tell me all about that, Luna. Anything that makes our 'Mione this cooperative is vital information."

The two of them laughed together as Hermione flushed, finished her potions, and lay back in the bed. Tonks glanced over at the mantel to the clock sitting there.

"We've been up here for an hour now, and I told Mum we'd join them in the library when you felt up to it. So…"

Hermione groaned again. "I am _not_ looking forward to this. You know I'm not. Mum will dig everything out of me. Probably even the things I've been leaving out for the last few years—like Ron and my "adventures" with Harry. I'll be grounded until I'm 21; I'm sure of it. If I have to, I have to, but I don't have to like it!" She rolled over onto her stomach and buried her face in the pillows at the thought.

Tonks picked up her wand from the bedside table. With a quick word and gesture, a small silver figure leapt from the end of the wand and headed out the door.

"All right, I've sent them a message saying that we'll be along shortly. Luna, if you'll look in the closet over there, I think you'll find some loose robes. I expect that those will be more comfortable for 'Mione than Muggle clothes right now." Looking down at Hermione, she grinned. "And as for you, Miss Lazybones," Tonks pulled back the covers and smacked Hermione's naked bum sharply, making the younger girl squeal in surprise, "time to get your arse out of that bed. C'mon, I'll help you to the loo."

_**HPatWC HPatWC HPatWC HPatWC HPatWC HPatWC HPatWC HPatWC**_

The four adults in the library looked up as the three girls entered the room, Hermione walking slowly with Tonks and Luna supporting her from either side. Andromeda picked up her wand from the desk. Casting a quick spell, she made a small sofa appear between Dan and Edmund's chairs. Tonks and Luna helped Hermione to the sofa, and sat down on either side of her. Andromeda quirked an eyebrow as each of them wrapped a protective arm around Hermione's shoulders. She noted a similar expression on Emma's face out of the corner of one eye. Apparently Andy wasn't the only one who'd picked up on the body language among the three.

Emma got up from her chair and went and knelt down in front of her daughter. Taking Hermione's hands in hers, she asked her, "Hermione, sweetheart, how are you feeling? Are you in any pain?"

Hermione smiled at her mother's obvious concern. "I'm all right, Mama. I have to be a bit careful when I move, and not overexert myself. Not that these two are letting me at the moment. Humph, can't even go to the loo on my own right now…"

Tonks tapped Hermione gently on the nose while she huffed. "No attitude in front of your mother." Hermione just stuck her tongue out at Dora. Everyone laughed.

Emma's face grew more serious as she looked intently at her daughter. "Hermione, I wish you'd been more open with us about the world you're living in now. I feel like your father and I have learned more from Andy in the past couple of hours than we have from you in the last five years."

Hermione sighed. "I know, Mama, Dad, and I'm sorry. It's just…, oh, I don't know, it's so hard to explain."

Dan looked at her, nothing but concern on his face. "Can you try, pumpkin? We don't want to make you feel cornered, but we'd like to understand why you felt you had to hide all this from us."

Hermione nodded. "I'll try. You see, there are parts of the Magical world that are just amazing. There are so many things I've longed to share with you, to let you see how happy all of this has made me. At the same time, it has its dark side as well. I've been in dangerous situations more than once in the past five years, though none as bad as a couple of weeks ago. I've just been afraid that if you knew how dangerous some of it was, you'd want to take me away. And I'm not sure I could live if you did. There's so much I'd miss, and people it would kill me to lose.

It was at this point that Dan Granger made a cardinal error. An understandable one, as it's an error that's been made by the fathers of teenage daughters for years, but an error nevertheless, He opened his mouth and the words came out.

"Hermione, I understand that you have a crush on this boy, Harry Potter. But if being around him is going to put you in this much danger, maybe you should consider whether you're exercising good judgment in pursuing a relationship with him."

Emma winced as she saw her daughter's face freeze up at Dan's words. _'Oh Lord, this is not going to be good. Yep, there's the fire lighting up in her eyes, better get out of the way.' _Emma stood and stepped back to the desk, and not before time. Hermione literally flew to her feet, despite Dora and Luna's efforts to restrain her.

"Crush, CRUSH!" Hermione shrieked, her voice achieving new heights never before reached by mortal woman. "Do you think THIS is the result of a crush?"

Hermione tore open her robes and dropped them to the floor. She was left standing in front of them all, naked. What drew the eye, however, was not her body, beautiful though it was. It was the huge, half-healed purple weal that started just below her collarbone, ran down between her breasts, over her stomach and waist, and ended at her pubic mound.

"I almost died, Father!"

Dan cringed; she only called him that when she was in a towering rage.

"Yes, I said _died_. And I would have, if Harry had not deliberately drawn the attention of vicious killers away from those of us who were wounded, and after himself. And he did that without even a moment's thought! That he could do that should give you some idea about how he cares for us, and that I followed him there, knowing this or worse could happen, should tell you how I feel about him!"

Dan just sat there, gaping at her. Tonks stood up, picked up the robes, and draped them over Hermione.

"'Mione, I don't think your father is capable of holding a rational conversation with you standing here starkers in front of all of us."

Hermione blushed as she realized what she'd been doing, clutched the robes around herself, and sat back down. She buried her face in Luna's shoulder for a moment in embarrassment. Then she pulled herself back up and looked her father straight in the eye.

"Dad, I love both you and Mama, but you need to understand. Your world is my past; the Wizarding world is my future, as is Harry. That die was cast when an 11 year old boy threw himself at a full-grown mountain troll without a second thought, to save a little know-it-all bookworm that he didn't even like that much. I decided at that moment that I would always be there for him, and those feelings have only gotten stronger. I will be a part of his life in any way he will allow, whether that means standing beside him in battle, bearing his children, or just warming his bed. I am his, heart, soul, and body!"

The others looked at her in shock as a gentle white nimbus glowed briefly around her body. Andromeda just shook her head. That was one decision rendered moot. A vow had been made, and Magick itself had accepted it.

Dan's eyes narrowed and he opened his mouth to reply. Before he could say a word, everyone jumped at a sudden sound like the crack of a pistol-shot. They turned to look at Emma, standing by the desk that she had just brought her hand down hard upon.

"Dan, don't even _think_ about saying anything right now! Need I remind you that any decision we try to make for her is null and void in three months when she turns 17 and is of age in the Wizarding world. I for one have no intention of losing my daughter because you two are both too bloody pig-headed to communicate!"

She turned to her daughter, "Hermione, you need to understand your father's concerns, because I share them! We know so little about your world and much of what we've learned today terrifies us. You need to work with us and help us understand, not be confrontational!"

Andromeda broke in at this point. "I'm sorry for interrupting, but I may have something of a solution to this problem. At the very least, it should help the two of you get a better idea of Hermione's life and experiences in the Wizarding world.

She muttered a quick incantation and waved her wand in an intricate pattern. A cabinet door opened on the far side of the room. An object floated out of the cabinet and came to rest on the desk. It was a shallow basin made of a greenish-grey stone, with runes and symbols etched into it in silver.

Hermione's eyes lit up when she saw the bowl. "A pensieve!"

Andromeda smiled. "Yes. Dan, Emma, this object is something used in our world called a pensieve. You can use it to store thoughts, which can then be viewed by yourself and/or others. This particular type is a solicitor's pensieve. It stores copies of thoughts rather than the thoughts themselves, and in addition to the immersion function which puts you into the memories; it has a projection function that allows the thoughts to be displayed. Since non-magical people can't use the immersion feature, I thought that we could use the projection mode to allow you to see some of Hermione's life for yourselves."

Hermione thought for a moment and then nodded. "I agree. Mama, Dad, I think that this is the best way for you to understand what I've been through, and how it's affected me." She looked at the others in the room. "You're all welcome to stay for this. The three of us," taking Dora and Luna's hands, "have become close, so it affects you as well." She turned back to Andromeda. "So, how does this work?"

Andromeda smiled. "Well, you need to put a copy of your thoughts into the pensieve. Don't worry about the underage magic restrictions, this house is under the Fidelius Charm, and no magic performed here can be detected by the Ministry. Concentrate on the memories you want to put into the pensieve, then tap your wand on your temple. Place the wand into the pensieve to create a copy, then tap your temple with the wand to replace the memories. I suggest that you start with your first year, and go forward from there."

For the next several hours, the group reviewed Hermione's memories from her five years at Hogwarts. Breaking only briefly between the third and fourth years for a dinner of sandwiches and pumpkin juice, they observed the highlights of her time at Hogwarts. They saw the troll incident in first year and the hunt for the basilisk in second. They watched as she, Harry, and Ron rescued Buckbeak from the executioner, and Sirius from the Dementors. They observed both the Quidditch World Cup and the Tri-Wizard Tournament from her fourth year.

It wasn't only major or traumatic events that she showed them, though. They also saw her excitement at learning magic and how it worked. They thrilled along with her as she performed her first transfigurations and charms. They held their breath at Harry's daredevil antics as Gryffindor's Seeker, since despite Hermione's claims that she disliked Quidditch, she had never missed one of Harry's games unless she was in the Hospital Wing. Dan and Emma watched enthralled as they saw Hermione come out of the protective shell she had always lived in at home and, as she became more confident in her friendship with Harry and Ron, began to blossom and become more open and self-assured.

Finally, she took them through the events of the previous year at Hogwarts. They saw the many confrontations with Dolores Umbridge, including the final one before the Department of Mysteries event. They saw Harry's ever-increasing stress, and the results of his detentions. And of course, they saw the battle at the Department of Mysteries. The memories ended there, as Hermione was not prepared to show them her encounters with Luna in the Hospital Wing.

For some time after the final images faded, everyone sat in silence, contemplating what they had watched for the past several hours. Then Dan and Emma rose from their chairs and walked to the couch. Dora and Luna moved away, letting the Grangers sit down with Hermione. No words were spoken; they simply wrapped their arms around their daughter and held one another. After a while, Dan pulled back and looked at Hermione.

"Pumpkin, thank you for sharing all this with us. After experiencing it, I think your mother and I can understand why you were frightened to talk to us about your new world." Emma nodded from Hermione's other side. "I won't pretend that some of what I saw doesn't terrify me," Dan said, "I'd be lying if I did. However, I've also seen how you've grown and changed over the past five years, and I now have a better idea how much of that happened. In spite of everything you've gone through, you are a happier, stronger, and more grounded person that you were before Hogwarts. No matter how much it may scare us that is not something we would want to take from you."

"Your father's right, dear." Emma added. "And so are you. This new world is your future, but it's a future that we would like to share with you, as much as we can. Please, don't feel that you have to hide things from us anymore. We'll support you and help you to the best of our abilities."

The three of them hugged and kissed one another, and then moved apart on the couch. Dora and Luna stepped up behind Hermione, and each of them laid a hand on her shoulder. Hermione reached up and rested her hands on top of theirs. She glanced quizzically at Dora, who nodded when she realized what Hermione was asking. She then looked at Luna, who also nodded her assent. Hermione turned back to her parents.

"All right, then there are some more things you should know. First of all, Dora and I are lovers, and have been since last summer. Secondly, Luna has expressed an attraction to both of us, and this is something that the three of us intend to explore. Finally, all three of us love Harry, and have no idea how that will affect everything else. That's something that we'll have to address with him when the opportunity presents itself. For now, I'll only point out that multiple-partner marriages do exist in the Wizarding world between a wizard and two or more witches, and if that turns out to be possible it may be something we decide to pursue."

Hermione stopped and looked at her parents expectantly. To say that they looked flabbergasted would be an understatement. Finally, Emma just laughed and shook her head.

"Well dear, we said we'd stand by you and support your choices, and we will, even if this is something we wouldn't have expected. I've been watching the three of you together since you came in, and I can see how protective both Dora and Luna are of you. I certainly have no objections to relationships between people who care for one another, as the three of you clearly do. But please, can we stop here with the surprises for tonight? I'm not sure your poor old father's heart could take another one."

Everyone started to laugh at Dan's grumpy reaction to that shot from his wife. After grumbling for a moment, he laughed as well. "It's certainly not what I would have chosen for you, sweetheart. I hate to see you adding even more complications to your life, when it's already fraught with them. But it is your life, and you have to live it as you think best. Just know that we love you, and will always be there for you."

Dan embraced his daughter, and rose to his feet. Helping Emma up, the two of them walked back towards their chairs. As Emma moved ahead of him, Dan brought his hand forward and popped her sharply on the rear. Emma grabbed her bum and whirled around, glaring at her husband. Dan just assumed an innocent expression to the laughter of the rest of the room. Emma showed that she was just as mature as her daughter, sticking her tongue out at Dan.

"Mum," Dora addressed her mother, "How do you feel about this? I know you've worried about my lack of a social life; you've hinted about my finding someone for long enough. But I doubt this was quite what you had in mind."

Andromeda gave her daughter a secretive little smile. "I actually thought you hadn't noticed my oh-so-subtle hints, darling. You certainly ignored them as if you hadn't. But to answer your question, I'm fine with your relationship with Hermione, and I approve heartily of your willingness to be open about it, at least with us. As for Luna, I have to confess that I'm surprised, but if the three of you are interested in each other I see no reason you shouldn't pursue it."

"I know you, Mum, you've got something up your sleeve and somehow this just made things easier for you." She frowned for a moment, then sighed and shook her head. "Never mind, you won't say anything until you're good and ready so I might as well give up on trying to get it out of you before I even start."

"It's nice to see you learned something in your Auror training, dear," Andromeda said and smirked at her daughter."

Just then Edmund Lovegood spoke up. "Moonbeam? Are you sure this is what you want?"

Luna tipped her head and gazed into the distance with a strange far off look on her face. After a minute or so she said, "Yes, Daddy. It's what both Mummy and I want."

"Then it's fine with me, Button Bright. Your Mummy was the smartest woman in the universe." Edmund smiled lovingly, crossed to where Luna stood and wrapped his arms around her. "And I know I'll love getting to know your new loves."

Andromeda broke in at this point after glancing at the grandfather clock in one corner of the room. "It's gotten very late, and I'm sure Hermione at least must be exhausted after this long an evening." Hermione nodded in agreement to this statement. "Dan, Emma, Edmund, I'll have the house elves make up rooms for you, please stay the night. I'd also like the three of you to consider moving into the manor, at least for the summer. I think it would be safer for Hermione and Luna, in the event that Death Eaters who are still free should seek them for revenge. It would also give us time to talk over more issues related to Harry Potter, and allow us to plan ahead for potential problems. Please, think about the offer, and we'll discuss it more tomorrow."

The three of them agreed to consider Andromeda's offer.

"All right then, back off to bed with you, Miss," said Dora. Hermione pouted for a moment, then rose to her feet and gave Dora a hug. She then turned to Andromeda.

"Mrs. Tonks…"

"Andy please, Hermione. If you're as close to my daughter as you say, I think you can use my name." There was another quick round of laughter as Hermione blushed.

"All right. Andy, could we borrow that pensieve? The three of us have a lot of talking to do, and I think being able to share past experiences with one another could make it a lot simpler."

Andromeda smiled. "Certainly you can. We have several more in the house, so feel free to keep it in your rooms. Dora's room is to the left of yours, Hermione, and we've prepared a room for Luna across the hall from you both. One thing though, please promise me that you will rest tonight, and not start using the pensieve until tomorrow at the earliest. Until you get used to it, the experience can be quite draining. I'll have some more questions about some of what we saw, but I think it's best we wait until we see Harry next, so he can be part of that discussion."

Hermione, Dora, and Luna nodded in agreement. Then Dora took Hermione by the arm and helped her to the door, while Luna collected the pensieve from the desk and followed them out.

Andromeda gestured towards the three remaining in the room. "If you'll follow me, I'll show you to your rooms."

_**HPatWC HPatWC HPatWC HPatWC HPatWC HPatWC HPatWC HPatWC**_

Tonks walked with Hermione into her bedroom, and helped her over to the bed. Luna set the pensieve down on one of the dressers, and then went to turn down the bed while Tonks helped Hermione out of her robes. The two of them tucked her in her bed and then stepped back.

Hermione looked up at them, her eyes wide, "Please, stay with me, both of you. After reliving all of that, well… I just don't want to be alone tonight."

Dora looked a bit puzzled until Luna stepped over to her and whispered in her ear, explaining about Hermione's nightmares in the Hospital Wing at Hogwarts. Dora's eyes widened in understanding. Then without another word, the two of them undressed, and slipped into the bed, one on each side of Hermione. Luna spooned up against her front, pulling Hermione's arms around herself. Dora curled up around Hermione's back, slipping one arm under her head, and laying the other over top of her, leaving Dora's hand resting on Luna's hip. The last sound either Dora or Hermione heard as they drifted off to sleep was Luna crooning her wordless lullaby.

_**HPatWC HPatWC HPatWC HPatWC HPatWC HPatWC HPatWC HPatWC**_

**_Author's Notes_**

**_Wolf:_**

This is about the length I expect most chapters to run. It's part of the reason I won't commit to anything more than monthly updates, though the next several chapters should post at about 7-10 day intervals. In the meantime, expect some other stories to begin posting soon. The plot bunnies have broken into the garden of my mind and are nibbling on the carrots. Back you little furry fiends, BACK!

**_Rose:_**

Oops, looks like Wolf's losing it again. It's alright, dear, I'll round up the bunnies for you. (I'd better, or he'll never get any of them finished!)


	3. Chapter 2:The Time Has Come, the Walrus

Disclaimer- It's not mine, it's all JKR's. Really, if it was mine, do you think Hermione would be sucking face with that red-headed git?

**Chapter Two- The Time Has Come, the Walrus Said, to Talk of Many Things**

_4 Privet Drive  
__Wednesday, July 10, 1996  
__11:00 AM_

Anyone who had last seen Harry Potter shortly before the end of term at Hogwarts would have been amazed at the changes they would have seen in him now. The unfocused, indifferent student was gone. The normal clutter that could be found laying around his bedroom at Number 4 Privet Drive was nowhere to be seen. Instead, there were rows of books lining every flat surface, many were on Wizarding subjects, but some dealt with Muggle materials. There were also stacks of parchment neatly arranged on the surface of his desk, and on the lid of his trunk. And lying on the bed was Harry Potter, with his nose buried in a book entitled _The Art of War_, by _Sun Tzu_.

Were he to be asked at that moment, Harry himself would have admitted that these changes had not occurred overnight, although they were certainly recent. Indeed, the process could not really have been said to have begun until the return to Privet Drive, or perhaps during the ride back from London.

_**HPatWC HPatWC HPatWC HPatWC HPatWC HPatWC HPatWC HPatWC**_

The happy mood that Harry had been in leaving the station, seeing all of his friends lined up to support him, did not survive even halfway through the trip back to Little Whinging. Slowly, he found himself slipping into a black depression. Thoughts of what had happened at the Department of Mysteries—his friends being hurt, Sirius being killed—combined with the thought of who knew how many weeks to be served in his sentence at Durzkaban, were leading him into darker and darker corners of his own mind. So caught up in these thoughts was he, that he failed to notice that his uncle's mood was rapidly darkening as well.

Vernon Dursley, like his son Dudley, would never be accused of being the brightest bulb in the chandelier. Unlike Dudley however, Vernon did have a certain level of animal cunning which had enabled him to succeed middling well at his chosen profession. His failing, unfortunately, was that when his emotions, particularly anger, became engaged, that cunning had a tendency to pack up and go on holiday without leaving a forwarding address.

As he drove though the crowded city streets, Vernon's teakettle was slowly but surely boiling over. One thought kept winging its way around his apology for a mind. _Those freaks had dared to threaten him, __**threaten HIM!**__ And all in the name of that miserable little freak in the back seat!_ The fact that those freaks had the power to back up those threats kept jumping up and down, trying to get his attention, but it was a doomed prospect. His colour, which had begun the ride at its normal medium pink, was rapidly working its way to puce, a sure sign that sooner or later, Mount Vernon was going to erupt.

Harry, however, was lost in his own depressing thoughts and remained oblivious to these signs as they pulled into the driveway at Number 4 and he got out and retrieved his trunk and Hedwig's cage from the boot. He didn't even notice Vernon opening the door and holding it for him to enter, which should have set alarm warnings off in his head, as Vernon's usual habit was to slam it in his face. It wasn't until he stumbled in the doorway, causing the ham-sized fist that was aimed at his head to glance off his shoulder and knock him to the side that he realized what was going on.

Vernon, in the mean time, was becoming even angrier, if this was possible without spontaneous human combustion occurring. He had spent the entire drive home stewing over the great injustice of being threatened by freaks. Then, to cap things off, the pleasure he'd expected to get from seeing the little freak laid out on the floor firmly back in his place, was missing. And all because the little bastard moved out of the way! So intent was he on this thought, that he missed some warning signs of his own.

Despite the Order's best efforts, Harry had not expected miracles from his uncle's encounter at the station. He did not consider himself a particularly complicated or demanding soul, and was not looking to be suddenly accepted and treated as a member of the family. Hell, he wasn't even expecting to be recognized as a human being. A simple gentleman's agreement with his relatives to ignore each other's existences for the summer would have been more that satisfactory to him. It had been clearly demonstrated, however, that even that little seemed to be beyond Vernon. Consequently, Harry was pissed.

As Albus Dumbledore could have attested had he been present, Harry being pissed at this time in his life was not a good thing. The state of the Headmaster's office after their last encounter was prime evidence of this fact. The Dursleys couldn't have known this, of course, though any half-way intelligent being could have guessed at it from the lecture they had gotten at Kings Cross and Harry's growing black mood on the ride back to Little Whinging. But even for the unintelligent Dursley family the oddly rising wind _inside_ their living room should have been a significant clue. However, such a subtle hint was apparently beyond Vernon who bellowed and charged towards Harry, fist held high. It remained beyond him as the wind suddenly peaked to hurricane proportions, and picked Vernon up and slammed him back into the living room wall. Harry stalked over to Vernon and glared at him

"You ugly, fat, bigoted excuse for a human being. In the last five years I've had my life threatened by a basilisk, giant spiders, soul-sucking demons, psychotic killers, and the most evil man on the planet. You think a pathetic worm like you can intimidate me? I have been threatened by _EXPERTS_; I don't rate you very highly at all! Insult me, threaten me, ever try to strike me again, and there won't be enough left of you to identify at an inquest. And that goes for your horse-faced wife and your walrus of a son as well."

Petunia and Dudley meanwhile, were standing and watching with mirrored looks of shock. Their minds appeared to have shut down from a massive influx of unprocessable data. Vernon had struck out at the freak, and Vernon was down. This fact, completely outside their worldview, had left them paralyzed. It took several minutes for Petunia to shake off her surprise and respond.

"B-b-but you can't do _that_ outside of school! You'll be expelled!" She recoiled as Harry turned to face her. The anger that had flared when Vernon struck him had vanished, leaving… nothing. His face was blank and his voice perfectly level as he answered her.

"Voldemort has returned, and the Wizarding world is at war. The last thing the Ministry is going to worry about now is a bit of accidental magic. Besides, they need me; I'm their only hope for victory. Next to that, what do you think the welfare of a few abusive, worthless Muggles matters to them?" With those words, Harry turned, collected Hedwig and his trunk, and quietly went up to his room.

_**HPatWC HPatWC HPatWC HPatWC HPatWC HPatWC HPatWC HPatWC**_

Harry had spent the rest of that night, and well into the next morning, thinking. When no owl appeared from the Department for Underage Magic, he began to think that his statement to his aunt, which had been little more than a bluff, was actually accurate. He had also come to several conclusions during the night.

First of all, he had come up with a short list of the people he felt he could trust and his reasons for doing so:

Hermione Granger—for five years, she had always stuck by him, caring not for the Boy-Who-Lived but her friend Harry.

Ginny Weasley—even more hot-tempered than her brother, but a loyal and fierce friend.

Neville Longbottom—loyal to a fault, and a surprisingly good fighter when the chips were down.

Luna Lovegood—strange girl, odd opinions, but with a way of looking at you that said she saw everything. She'd always accepted Harry at his word, and had followed where he led without question. Given that she was the only one of them uninjured in the DoM battle, she was either an amazing fighter or unbelievably lucky. Maybe both.

(Don't call me) Nymphadora Tonks—Harry couldn't explain her presence on this list, but something in his deepest instincts screamed at him to trust her without reserve There was something almost… familiar… about her.

Remus Lupin—last of the Marauders; last of his parents' friends.

He wished that he could put Ron's name on that list as well, but he just wasn't sure he could. Ron was certainly his friend, his very good friend, but the lessons of their second and fourth years had to be remembered. In addition to his good traits, Ron was thick-headed, prone to fits of jealousy, quick-tempered, and didn't seem to be able to keep his mouth shut. All in all, he'd have to be very careful regarding sharing anything with Ron.

There was also a short list of those he definitely did _not_ trust:

Tom Marvolo Riddle, aka Lord Voldemort—yearly attempts on Harry's life; nothing more needed to be said there!

Assorted Death Eaters, their hangers-on and spawn—see above.

Albus Dumbledore—too many secrets; too many efforts to control Harry. A man he once regarded as a grandfather he now viewed with extreme suspicion.

Severus Snape—Any chance that he would take Dumbledore at his word and trust Snape had been washed away by the so-called "Occlumency lessons" from the past year, which seemed to be little more than exercises in sheer sadism.

Cornelius Fudge and Dolores Umbridge—Politicians, reason enough not to trust them right there. The organized campaign of slander against Harry, combined with Umbridge's reign of terror and torture at Hogwarts, only added icing to the cake.

He had also come up with a list of goals for himself for the summer:

Learn Occlumency—find out if he could owl-order books from Flourish and Blotts, and see what they had on the subject.

Get fit—he needed to learn to dodge better, move faster, if he was going to stand a chance in a fight. Quidditch and the vast number of stairs in Hogwarts kept him in decent condition, but he needed much more.

Study Defence and the Dark Arts—Dumbledore apparently wasn't going to bother to teach him or even provide adequate teachers for the school, so he'd best get some books and study by himself. He'd done well in Defence with the D.A. last year but as for the Dark Arts, how could he fight something he didn't understand?

Learn more about his family and finances—What else had Dumbledore been hiding from him? Strange that while the trust vault at Gringotts was supposed to be his, Dumbledore had never returned the key after Molly Weasley picked up his supplies for the past year.

Learn about Muggle ways of fighting and war—Tom despised the Muggle world; perhaps there were answers there that could help Harry fulfill his destiny.

That would do for a start, though he was sure he'd find other things to add to the list as he went along. He'd had a number of days to think about what happened at the DoM, and the about prophecy. The battle at the DoM had showed him that he had friends he could lean on; people who would follow where he lead and that both encouraged and frightened him. The Wizarding world was at war, now, or at least he was, and he was likely to be at the forefront of the conflict, just as he had been at the forefront of the conflicts with Voldemort since his first year at Hogwarts. Under those circumstances he needed friends. No one could stand alone in his situation without crumbling, and he was greatly encouraged by knowing that he wouldn't have to. But those same friends would not only be there to lend a shoulder to lean on or advice in a sticky situation, they would also be there when he went into battle. They would stand beside him and behind him, making his fight their own. And they would get hurt as they had in the DoM, again and again. That terrified him; he could lose one of them so easily, just as he had lost Sirius.

As for the prophecy, he'd come to the conclusion that, on this one thing at least, Dumbledore was right. It didn't matter whether the prophecy was true or not, Voldemort believed in it so Harry had to act as if it were gospel. Besides, Voldemort had killed too many people he cared for; he had to be stopped. Harry didn't fancy the idea of killing, but if one of them had to be dead at the end, he'd prefer it was Voldemort, thank you very much.

Over the next couple of weeks, a number of things had happened. First, he'd had it out with his dear relatives. He'd explained that he would not be doing chores; he would be studying to defeat a Dark Lord who wanted them all dead. He would cook for himself, clean up after himself, but that was it. Anything else was their problem. As they were still cowed from the events of his arrival, he'd had little problem getting them to agree.

Next, he had owled Flourish & Blotts about ordering items, and asked for a mail order listing. He'd received a response with a listing, saying that it could be charged to his vault number. He'd ordered a number of texts on Defence, Charms, and Occlumency. Then he'd begun studying, starting with Occlumency, and practicing every night before he went to sleep.

Finally, he had gone to the Little Whinging library, and checked out books on Muggle warfare and calisthenics. He wasn't prepared to start running or working out outside, too much of a chance of making himself a target, but he wanted to start on getting in shape.

While browsing at the library, he'd come across a translation of a book called _The Art of War_, written by a Chinese warlord named Sun Tzu in 500 BC. He'd become so fascinated by it that he'd gone out and bought his own copy. Here were many of the principles of combat, laid out in a simple and logical basis. It emphasized methods of avoiding strife where possible, winning with the least loss, but also being ruthless where battle was necessary. He found himself reading sections of it every day, and often lamenting that Magical texts couldn't make this much sense.

A side effect Harry had discovered from his Occlumency practice was that he was handling the results of the DoM fiasco, especially Sirius' death, much better than he had been. The depression was fading, and it was on his mind less and less. It didn't occur to him that this wasn't normal; after all, what did he know of the normal grieving process. He was simply relieved that he was able to focus on the things he was trying to accomplish, without the emotional distraction.

_**HPatWC HPatWC HPatWC HPatWC HPatWC HPatWC HPatWC HPatWC**_

Meanwhile, at Black Manor, Hermione was sitting at the table in her bedroom, her books laying in front of her, temporarily forgotten. Instead of studying, she was musing over the changes that had occurred in her life over the past couple of weeks. Her parents were living here at the Manor, along with Luna's father, and they were commuting to work via Portkey to their dental office and the Quibbler, respectively. She smiled in silent amusement, remembering the discussions leading to this arrangement.

_Flashback_

The seven of them met for breakfast the morning after their arrival. Everyone was introduced to Ted Tonks, Dora's father. He hadn't been at the meeting the previous evening, not wanting to add to the confusion. They sat down and the house elves began serving. After everyone had their food, Emma looked over to Andromeda.

"Andy, we've thought about your offer to move into the Manor, and we'd like to take you up on it for a number of reasons. First, it seems to us that Hermione would be far better protected here during her convalescence than she would be at our home. More importantly in many ways, it will give us a chance to learn more about her world and yours. We realized last night that both Hermione and the school officials have been less than forthcoming about things in the past. That, among other things, has allowed a great distance to grow between us and our daughter—a far greater distance than we are happy with now that we realize it."

Dan cut in, "We'd like to try and bridge that gap. Obviously we can never be as much a part of your world as Hermione is, but we'd like to have at least a foothold in the Wizarding community. Since it's obvious that space isn't an issue in this house, our biggest concern is how we manage to get to our office each day. Well, that and collecting the car from King's Cross before it's completely vandalized."

"No need to worry about either of those things," Andy responded with a smile. "I can set you up with a multi-use Portkey that will let you transport between your rooms here at the Manor and a private part of your office where no one will see you. As for the car, we can Portkey to King's Cross this morning, and pick up your car. If you'll allow me to accompany you to your office today, you can show me where you'd like the transport keyed to and I can Apparate back here."

Hermione interrupted at this point. "I thought all Portkey travel was supervised and restricted by the Ministry. Won't this get all of us into trouble?"

Andy grinned. "If we were anyone else, yes, it would. However, Portkey travel was developed by a member of the Black family back in 1873, and licensed to the Ministry by Phineas Nigellus, then Head of the Black Family. A portion of the fees collected by the Ministry are assigned to the Black Family Trust, and the Black Family Head and his or her designees are exempt from all Ministry regulations and restrictions on Portkey travel. Phineas really knew how to write a contract. So, I can provide your parents with a Portkey to their offices, and Edmund with one to the Quibbler and the Ministry need be none the wiser."

_End Flashback_

That morning had been the start of Hermione's latest introduction to the inner workings of the Wizarding world, including how the rules differed depending on where you ranked in Wizarding society. Andromeda had been bred to this, being educated to ultimately take her place as a Family counselor, and discovered that she had an eager student in Hermione. As a result, she was glad to begin the young woman's education, instructing her not only in the interactions of prominent Wizarding families but also in the intricate web of rules and regulations designed to govern the balance of power in the Wizarding world. The planned lessons delighted both Hermione, who loved learning anything, and Andromeda, who was well aware of the future benefits that could arise from them.

Hermione also found herself reflecting on the developing relationships among Dora, Luna and herself. They had been using the pensieve Andy had provided each evening, taking turns showing parts of their pasts to the others, one person each evening. One of the side effects of this had been that no bed other than Hermione's had been used since that first evening. The events that the three of them were reviewing were often highly emotional, and they preferred to have one another's company after the viewings. There had been no physical interactions beyond a little kissing and cuddling, but the emotional sides of the relationships were growing rapidly from the support they were providing to one another and, for now, they were content with that.

She jumped, startled when two arms were wrapped around her, then relaxed back into them and purred as she recognized the grip. "Good morning, Dora-love," she said, turning slightly in the chair to face the white-haired metamorphmagus. They exchanged a brief but intimate kiss, before Dora sat down in the chair next to her.

"Where's Moonbeam?" asked Hermione.

Dora snorted. "Still slug-a-bed, wrapped in a ball in the center." She pointed back to the bed where a small lump could be seen in the middle of Hermione's bed, Crookshanks happily curled up at the base. Dora's expression sobered. "I think she's still a bit worn out from last night's pensieve session."

Hermione's face matched Dora's, almost frightening in its expressionlessness. Luna had shown them a number of her experiences at Hogwarts. The bullying, teasing, and thefts had left both of the older girls weeping tears of fury. Hermione didn't know how Dora felt, but there were a few people she was looking forward to getting her hands on when school started up again. She was sure that with a little research here in the library, she could come up with some charms that were far more… interesting, than what she had used on the DA contract.

"So, what are your plans for the morning?" Hermione glanced over at the mantle clock. Seeing that it was 12:30, she amended, "Make that the afternoon. My, we were tired, weren't we?"

Dora nodded. "Well, I know that Mum wanted to talk with us after lunch. I think she's finally ready to talk to us about her plans. And not before time either, since my medical leave from the DMLE is up today, so I'll be going back to work, and back on guard shift at Harry's relatives tomorrow. Tell you what, I'll go downstairs and tell her we're having a late lunch, and we'll meet her in the library at 3 o'clock. You get our little Moonbeam out of bed, washed up, and dressed, and I'll come back up with the house elves and lunch."

Hermione nodded her agreement, not even reacting to the comment about house elves. One of the things that convalescing here at Black Manor had offered was an opportunity to learn more about the Wizarding world, particularly parts she'd never learned about at Hogwarts. House elves had been one of those parts. After reading several books, and speaking politely with a couple of the elves, she understood better how bonding increased the elves powers, and protected them. She now realized how misguided S.P.E.W. had been. She still wanted to help the house elves, but understood that insisting on freedom for them was the wrong approach. Finding ways to protect them from abuse and provide them with more rights would be much more productive.

Hermione rose from the table as Dora left the room, tied her satin dressing gown more securely, and walked into the bathroom. She filled the tub with warm water and lavender-scented bubbles, one of Luna's favourites. Then she stepped back into the bedroom, and, walking over to the bed, looked down at Luna with an evil grin on her face. She still owed Luna for having embarrassing her with her behavior in the Hospital Wing, and thought that this was a perfect time to collect. She picked her wand up from the bedside table and waved it, making the bedclothes peel away from Luna's naked form. Crookshanks, who was now buried in blankets, crawled out from under the covers and gave Hermione a dirty look to which she replied with an apologetic shrug. Then with an evil gleam in her eye, she levitated the sleeping Luna, and floated her into the bathroom and over the tub. She cancelled the levitation spell just as the girl was poised above the water.

Luna found herself jolted from her dreams as her body hit the bathwater. Sputtering, she surfaced and pushed her wet hair back out of her face. Hearing a strange noise, she looked up to see Hermione kneeling next to the tub, with both of her hands covering her mouth trying to suppress her giggling. Luna smiled her dreamy smile and sat up in the tub, wrapping her arms around Hermione's neck and pulling her close for a kiss. Leaning back slightly, she cocked an eyebrow at her bushy-haired friend. "So, did the Snifflewumps try and drown me?"

Hermione just smirked. "Consider it payback for some of your attempts to embarrass me, love. Dora asked me to get you cleaned up, she never said how."

Luna smiled once more. "Well, we wouldn't want to disappoint Dora, would we? I suppose you'll just have to help me get clean." Moving her hands around to the front, she untied the belt of Hermione's dressing gown and opened it, pushing it off of her shoulders. It fell to the floor, leaving Hermione kneeling naked beside the tub. Luna gently ran one finger down Hermione's healing scar. It was much improved, and only a week or so remained until Hermione could stop taking the medication.

Hermione squirmed a little, somewhat uncomfortable with what was happening. "Moonbeam, I'm not sure… I mean…"

Luna silenced her by laying a finger on her lips. "I know, love, I'm not pushing you. None of us are ready for that next step together yet. We'll know when the time is right. For now, just join me in the bath."

Hermione eased herself into the tub. Luna picked up a soft sponge, put some liquid soap on it, and began soaping Hermione's chest. Hermione lay back against the end of the tub, wrapping her legs gently around Luna's torso. She began to purr as Luna spread the gently scented liquid over her breasts and across her stomach. Hermione was the least in touch with her body of the three girls, but she was beginning to accept the simple pleasures of sight and smell and touch. The soft feel of the sponge sent little shivers through her as she basked in the attentions of her newest love. Gentle fingers followed in the wake of the sponge carefully washing every inch of her breasts and tracing strange designs across her stomach.

Then Luna leaned forward, trailing a line of kisses along Hermione's neck, and pressed her breasts against her chest. "Mmm, this is a nice way to wash, isn't it, dearest?"

"Oh, yes," Hermione wriggled, spreading the suds on her body onto Luna's. "I think I like it rather a lot. You make a very nice bath sponge, so soft and smooth." She snagged the sponge out of Luna's hands and began to wash her back, keeping the lithe Ravenclaw pressed firmly against her.

For the next half hour the two played in the tub, soft touches interspersed with gentle kisses as they explored each other's bodies. Hermione learned every inch of Luna's body, a corner of her agile mind cataloguing places that she would one day exploit in sexual play, while the rest of her being floated in the gentle sensuality of this special time. She found that she loved having her hair washed by someone else, a feeling she barely remembered from her childhood. And to her surprise, she discovered the great joy of washing Luna's hair. Apparently this was one of the more sensitive places on Luna's body, as she wriggled with delight when Hermione buried her hands in the blond tresses and massaged shampoo into them.

They had barely finished rinsing the foam from their bodies and were once more kissing when Dora popped her head into the bathroom. "What are you two still doing in the tub? Hermione, you were supposed to be getting Moonbeam _out_ of bed, not getting both of you ready to get back _into_ bed!"

Hermione pouted and splashed water at her lover, who was now sporting purple curls. "Spoil-sport. You just wish you were in here with us. Honestly we were just about to get out."

"That's not what it looked like to me," Dora smirked at the two.

"Don't be silly Dora," Luna answered "Hermione was simply making sure that she had cleaned all the Pliff-whits out of my hair."

"Right… Pliff-whits…" Dora shook her head, extended a hand to help Luna out of the tub, and kissed her. Picking up a towel, Dora said, "If I didn't know you…" Once Luna was wrapped up she helped Hermione out of the tub and wrapped her in another white fluffy towel, giving a kiss to her as well. "Breakfast—or I guess I should call it lunch—is on the table in the bedroom. And I'm hungry, so hurry your sweet little bums out of here and into some clothes. I'll never be able to concentrate on my breakfast otherwise." She spurred them along in front of her with light swats to the bums under discussion, with squeal and giggles aplenty.

Moments later, after sliding into comfortable lounging robes and casting drying charms on their hair, they were all seated around the table enjoying hearty servings of Eggs Benedict and fresh juice. They ate in companionable silence, each one lost in their own thoughts. Hermione and Luna were both thinking about their time together in the bath, and lost in a desire to spend some more time doing the same. Dora was watching them both with a small secretive smile. She'd been delighted to find them both that way, as she knew from personal experience how difficult it was for Hermione to open up physically to someone, and was glad to see that she and Luna were making progress in that arena. She was also looking forward to the idea of spending some time… exploring… with both girls.

They finished their breakfasts, and Dora clapped her hands smartly. Picking up her wand, she sent a Patronus message out the door of the bedroom. "Right, I've messaged Mum, telling her we'd be down in a moment and meet her in the library. First we have a talk with her, and then…"

"And then?" asked Hermione, one eyebrow cocked?

"And then I want some equal time in the tub with company!" Dora replied emphatically, her lower lip puffed out in an exaggerated pout. Hermione and Luna both giggled, and Luna leaned over and whispered in Hermione's ear. Hermione nodded, and then turned to Dora.

"I think we can arrange that. For now, let's go see what your Mum wants with us." The three girls stood, and Dora and Hermione moved towards the door. Dora looked back over her shoulder at Luna.

"Coming, Moonbeam?"

"I'll be along in a moment," Luna replied. Dora nodded and she and Hermione exited the room, heading for the library. Luna walked towards the closet, murmuring to herself.

"Now, what to transfigure, what to transfigure…" She hummed a little tune as she rummaged through the closet.

_**HPatWC HPatWC HPatWC HPatWC HPatWC HPatWC HPatWC HPatWC**_

Andromeda sat behind the desk in the library, looking at the three young women seated across from her. Dora she had known her whole life, of course, the other two she had gotten to know over the past couple of weeks. In Hermione she had found a person whose love of learning and scholarship rivaled her own. Luna was more of an enigma. She seemed so otherworldly, but then could turn and hit you with an observation so sharp it took your breath away. In any case, she had found herself becoming increasingly fond of both of them, which was going to make some of their future discussions that much more awkward.

Shaking her head to clear her mind of woolgathering, she spoke up. "Now that Hermione is largely recovered, and you as well, Dora, it's time we discussed some plans for the future. With Dora going back on shift at Harry's relatives' house, we need to make some decisions. First, there is some information I need to share with you. As we did before, I think using a pensieve," nodding towards the bowl sitting on the desk, "to show you the events involved is the best option. Since all of us here are capable, I suggest we use the immersion mode this time."

Motioning to them, she watched as the girls pulled their chairs up to the front of the desk. Then the four of them each dipped a finger into the pensieve, and the image playback began. Andy had preloaded the pensieve with a copy of her meeting with Sirius the previous January, and for some minutes they silently reviewed the memory.

When it ended, they sat back and Dora spoke. "Poor Siri, having to deal with _that_ on his mind along with everything else last year."

Hermione shook her head in confusion. "I don't understand, what did he mean by having 'seen the Grim'?"

Andy sighed. "There is a talent, I don't know whether to call it a gift or a curse, that runs in the Black family. It's only ever manifested in the more powerful members, which Sirius certainly was. When their death approaches, they begin to see visions of a Grim, our Family's ensign. The images are never precise or particularly clear, according to Family stories, but it is possible to get an impression of when that death will occur."

"So you're saying…"

"That Sirius foresaw his death this summer, even if he didn't know exactly when or how it would occur. His actions in the memory you just saw were part of his provisions against that event, to make certain that Harry would be looked after. He didn't want to simply leave matters in the hands of Albus Dumbledore."

Hermione looked surprised. "He didn't trust the Headmaster? Why on earth not?"

"There were a number of reasons. First of all, he had become very resentful of what he saw as Albus' imprisonment of him in Number 12. Yes, I realize that he was a fugitive," she added, holding up a hand to cut off Hermione's interruption, "but given his ability as an Animagus, he felt Albus was being unreasonably strict. Rightly or wrongly, he perceived it as an attempt to separate Harry and himself."

"Next, he was extremely displeased with Albus' unwillingness to put a stop to Snape's verbal abuse of both himself and Harry. He had seen Snape's behavior towards Harry at Number 12, and had heard about it at Hogwarts from you, Harry, and Ron. He confronted Albus about it, but never got an answer he considered satisfactory. This also inclined him to be less trusting of Albus. Finally, there was another meeting he and I had a couple of months after our first." She touched her wand to her temple, withdrawing a silvery strand. She copied it into the pensieve, then replaced it in her mind. "If you will join me now, I'll show you what happened." Again, the four of them entered the pensieve vision.

_Pensieve Flashback_

_Monday, March 11, 1996  
__Gringotts-Diagon Alley  
__7:22PM_

Sirius and Andromeda appeared in a private apparation room in Gringotts, reserved for the highest ranking families in Wizarding society. He took her by the hand and led her out and through the halls to the Wills and Trusts department. Stopping at a door labeled "Bonecrusher," he knocked. The door opened, and he led Andromeda into the office.

Bonecrusher, an enormous Goblin with a toothy smile that could put a T-Rex to shame, rose from his desk and came around to Sirius, grasping him in a fond embrace. Sirius smiled, but the smile became a bit strained as his face turned progressively redder.

"Uh, 'Crusher, need… to… breathe…"

Bonecrusher released Sirius and stepped back, still grinning maniacally. Sirius gestured towards Andromeda. "Bonecrusher, this is my cousin Andromeda Black-Tonks. She and her daughter are the only members of my family I'll admit to."

Bonecrusher bowed slightly in Andromeda's direction. "Madame Black-Tonks, a pleasure."

"The pleasure is mine, Bonecrusher and please call me Andromeda."

Bonecrusher returned to his seat behind the desk and motioned them to chairs in front of it. "So, what can I do for you both today?"

"I need to bring you up to date on some things. First of all, I've named Andy as Regent to the Black Family. In the event that something happens to me, she will take over as acting head of the Family and guardian to my godson and Heir Harry Potter until he comes of age."

Bonecrusher nodded. "I assume that your Family magick has accepted her?" Andromeda showed him the Regent's ring. "Very good. And do you have all the necessary paperwork?" Sirius handed over a file folder. Bonecrusher leafed through the papers, nodding and muttering. "All right, everything seems to be in order. What else?"

Sirius reached into his pocket and withdrew a small glass globe, which he handed to Bonecrusher. "This is my updated will, witnessed by Andy. In the event of my death, it will activate, as per the ancient magicks. Since my status as a fugitive precludes going through standard Wizarding inheritance practices, I've chosen to take this approach. When it activates, contact Andy about setting up a reading. She'll provide you with the necessary listing of attendees. Also, at that time, be prepared to read the Potter wills as well."

Andromeda turned to Sirius. "Weren't the Potter wills read at the time of their death?"

Sirius looked at Bonecrusher. "'Crusher, I think you'd better explain it to her."

Bonecrusher looked at Andromeda seriously. "No, the Potters' wills were never read. They chose to seal their wills with a blood bonding, an unusual step, but perfectly valid. There are only three people who could open those wills after their deaths: Harry Potter, but only on his seventeenth birthday, when he comes of age; Sirius, as his Godfather, but he'll have to explain to you why he's chosen not to; and finally, Lorelei Lovegood, now deceased, Harry's Godmother. There has been only one attempt to open it, on November 1, 1981, by Albus Dumbledore. When told of the blood bonding, he left."

Sirius turned to Andromeda, "Andy, I won't open the will, despite many efforts by Albus Dumbledore to convince me to do so. If I were free that would be one thing, but given my status in the Wizarding world, I'd have no control over the outcome. I suspect Albus tried to access the wills after James and Lily died, to determine what was in them. I also suspect that he never told Lorelei about her access to them, for fear that she would remove Harry from the custody of the Dursleys and his control. Albus wanted me to activate the will, but only with him here "to protect me and Harry's interests." Given what I've told you about Harry's past and Albus' decisions, I think you can understand why I don't trust his interpretations of Harry's 'best interests'."

Andy nodded. "Yes, I do. I can't claim that I'm happy about it, but his placing Harry with Lily's sister was negligent at best, criminal at worst. However, this is a conversation that we can continue later, rather than taking up any more of Bonecrusher's valuable time." She rose along with Sirius, and made Bonecrusher a slight bow. "Farewell, Bonecrusher, may your hands ever flow with gold."

Bonecrusher smiled and bowed back. "I thank you for the courtesy, Lady. Most wizards would not treat a mere Goblin with such respect."

Andromeda snorted. "Most wizards wouldn't treat _me_ with such respect, after the horrendous sin of marrying a muggle-born. Believe me; I've learned over the years that respect should be accorded to deeds, not station. Your deeds have shown you to be a good friend to our House. The House of Black does not forget its friends."

The three of them shook hands, and Sirius and Andromeda exited the office.

_End Flashback_

Andromeda lifted her head as the four of them left the pensieve vision. "So, now you can see some of the planning Sirius did, and his reasons for not trusting Albus. Let me also add that, from my own knowledge of Wizengamot procedure, Albus could have gotten him a trial with Veritaserum, either when he was first imprisoned or after he escaped. His position as Chief Warlock gives him the power. Also, contrary to what he implied to you at the end of your third year, Hermione, your Pensieve memories of Peter Pettigrew and his confession would have been admissible as evidence. The fact that he chose not to take these actions tends to indicate that he has another agenda."

Hermione, Dora, and Luna looked at one another, and Hermione sighed. "There may be more reasons than that. The night of the DoM incident, Harry had a meeting with the Headmaster. I only saw him briefly after that meeting, when he came to check on me in the Hospital Wing, but he was in a towering rage. I couldn't get anything out of him at that point, and was too drugged on pain potions to try very hard, but I suspect that there was more to the situation than merely Sirius' death. I've always trusted the Headmaster, but I'm clearly going to have to rethink this."

Andromeda nodded "I'm glad you understand. Do any of you have any other questions?"

"I had no idea that Mummy was Harry's Godmother" Luna said, a speculative look in her eyes. "I wonder what it would have been like to grow up together…"

Dora hugged Luna who cuddled close to her. Then Hermione dropped a gentle kiss on her forehead. "It would definitely have been different for all of us, Moonbeam," she said, then turned back to Andromeda. "I do have one more question. If Harry's parents' wills are blood-bonded and both his godparents are now dead, how can they be read this summer? Harry won't be seventeen for a year yet."

Andromeda smiled despite the gravity of the subject; this was just the sort of question she had come to expect from Hermione. "When Sirius named me Regent of House Black, it gave me the power to speak with his name, both magically and legally, at least until the next Lord assumes his station. As far as the Potter will globe and its magic are concerned I _am_ Sirius, therefore I can activate the wills." Once she saw that Hermione understood she turned to Dora. "When does your shift at Harry's begin tomorrow?"

"I relieve Mad-Eye at 5PM, when I get off-shift at the DMLE."

Andromeda tapped her chin pensively with her wand. "All right, here's what I propose. Talk to Harry when you arrive, and see if he'll be willing to come back here with you. You can let him know that Hermione and Luna are here as well, if he wants to see them. If he agrees, message me and bring him back here. The five of us can meet here, and we can discuss options."

Luna spoke up then. "Two things. First, make sure that you make it clear to Harry that you are including him in the decision-making process. He's had too many other people controlling his life; he won't trust you if he thinks you're trying to do the same." Andromeda nodded, and Luna turned to Dora. "Secondly, at some time in the near future, I'll give you a sign. When that happens, you must trust me, and revert to your base form. Please Dora, I can't explain, but I feel that this is crucial."

Dora smiled. "All right, Moonbeam, I'll trust you. Now, if there's nothing further," Andromeda shook her head, "I'm for a bath!"

Hermione and Luna shared a grin, and Luna spoke. "Why don't you fetch some spiced cider? It's excellent for warding off Griplunkers, which are known to lurk in bathwater. Then join us up in Hermione's bathroom."

Dora looked at them suspiciously. "I know you're both up to something, but I know there's no way I'll get it out of you. So, I'll just see you upstairs." She rose and left the library.

Andy looked at the two remaining girls. "I also know you're up to something, and I'll just ask you to be careful. Dora is a lot more fragile emotionally than she likes to show. Please don't hurt her."

Luna smiled gently at her. "That's the last thing either of us would do." Hermione nodded vigorously as Luna's smile turned to a smirk. "Now, someone else getting, um, hurt at some point without being harmed is a distinct possibility." Hermione stared at Luna, and blushed brightly.

Andy just shook her head. "I don't want to know, we're venturing into the territory of too much information. Now, off with you, you little scamps, before my daughter beats you upstairs."

The two girls rose, and exited the room, giggling all the way.

_**HPatWC HPatWC HPatWC HPatWC HPatWC HPatWC HPatWC HPatWC**_

Dora entered the bedroom, and looked around. There was no sign of either Hermione or Luna. Through the open doorway to the bathroom, she could hear the sound of water running.

"Luna, 'Mione, anyone here?"

Hermione responded. "In the bathroom, Dora-love. Come on in, and bring the cider."

Dora walked into the bathroom and stopped dead, her jaw dropping towards the floor. There was a bath full of bubbles being drawn and directly beside the tub were Hermione and Luna, but she'd never seen them like _this_. They were dressed, if you could call it that, in costumes that looked like a teenage male's fantasy of harem girls. Each had their heads down, but were staring up at Dora through their eyelashes. Clearly, they were satisfied by her reaction.

"What are you up to, you minxes?"

Hermione almost purred as she stepped towards Dora and dropped to her knees, "Merely preparing your bath, Dora. May we help you disrobe?"

At this point Dora decided to give in to the game. Her two young loves were delectable in the sheer silks and it would be a shame and more than a shame not to take advantage of the visions of sensuality they presented. Frankly, she had enjoyed the sight of the two school girls romping in the bath that morning, and the opportunity to have then both lavishing their attentions on her was, well… "Of course you may. Quickly now."

Luna crossed the room, her hips swaying sensuously and stepped behind Dora. As Hermione's nimble fingers unfastened the front of Dora's robes, Luna eased them off of her shoulders, leaving Dora standing gloriously nude in front of them. The two "slave girls" then handed Dora into the tub. Dora looked up at them, pouting slightly.

"It's lonely in here all by myself."

The two younger girls giggled, and then began slowly to undress one another. They took their time, tantalizing Dora with peeks and slow movements, until they were both naked as well. Then, Hermione slid into the tub behind Dora while Luna popped in in front of her.

Picking up a soft sponge and some liquid soap, Luna began to gently wash Dora chest and stomach. At the same time, Hermione wet Dora's hair, and began to shampoo her, gently massaging her head. Dora leaned back against Hermione and smiled, surrendering herself to the girls' ministrations.

After a while, Hermione pushed Dora forward, so that Luna could rinse and condition her hair. Then she picked up the sponge and applied the same attention to Dora's back that Luna had to her front. When they were finished, they had Dora stand up, and finished washing her from the waist down. If they occasionally allowed their hands to caress her arsecheeks, or wander gently between her thighs, Dora was not about to complain.

They then climbed out of the tub, and spent quite a bit of enjoyable time lying on the bed, drying one another off. Again, this time was used as an excuse to gently explore one another's bodies, learning each others reactions to sensual touch and massage, never quite crossing the border into overtly sexual behavior. When the drying and playing was done, they dressed again in comfortable robes and headed downstairs to dinner, having spent the rest of the afternoon in their games.

That night, as she was curled up in bed between Hermione and Luna, an arm wrapped around each with their heads on her chest. Dora looked down at Luna and said, "Moonbeam? Save the costumes from earlier. I think we can have more fun with them another time. I know two naughty little harem girls who will need more attention in future." She chuckled to herself as she felt the younger girls' nipples hardening against her skin, and drifted off to sleep.

_**HPatWC HPatWC HPatWC HPatWC HPatWC HPatWC HPatWC HPatWC**_

The next afternoon, Dora arrived at Privet Drive a few minutes before 5PM. After exchanging a brief word with Moody, she took up position as he Apparated away. She waited about ten minutes to make sure he would not return, then she cast a _Silencio_ spell over herself and slipped into the house through the back door. Moving silently up the stairs, she eased open the door to Harry's room and slipped inside where she suddenly found a wand pointing directly at her from a shadowed corner of the room.

"Who the hell are you?" she heard a voice she assumed was Harry ask harshly.

Dropping the hood of her invisibility cloak and canceling her spell, she responded, "Wotcher, Harry. How've you been?"

The wand point never wavered as he challenged her, "How do I know you're the real Tonks, and not someone impersonating her?"

Tonks grinned. "I see Mad-Eye's lessons in **Constant Vigilance** are paying off." She thought for a moment. "How about this?" She transformed her nose into the pig snout that had been so popular with the younger folks at Grimmauld Place last summer.

Harry lowered his wand without even changing his expression. "All right, it's you. What can I do for you? Dumbledore send you to check up on his little weapon? I'm as fine as I'm likely to be, under the circumstances." He moved over to the bed and sat down.

Disturbed, Dora frowned at his response. She'd expected to get at least a grin with the pig snout, but there had been nothing. Considering his words, she would have expected to hear anger in his tone, but again, his affect had remained perfectly flat. As she tried to get her bearings, she glanced around her; she was amazed at how tidy the room was. It seemed almost sterile, as if no one really lived there.

Taken together with his words, the lack of emotion and the pristine surroundings were worrisome. Sitting down next to him on the bed, she took his hand and tried to explain why she was there, "Dumbledore didn't ask me to come; he doesn't even know I'm up here. I'm supposed to be on guard duty outside. I wanted to see how you were, to see how you're holding up, after S-Sirius' death and all." There was a slight catch in her voice as she spoke his name.

Harry sighed, running his free hand through his hair. "I didn't mean to sound hostile, Tonks. Mostly, I'm tired. Tired of everything that happens to me, tired of being burdened with the expectations of the world, of being their saviour or their whipping boy depending on the phase of the moon. Tired of just feeling… feeling…"

"Alone?" Dora finished for him. At his nod, she slid off the bed and onto her knees in front of him. "You're not alone, Harry. There are other people than just me who care about you. That's the other reason I'm here. I'm extending an offer for you to come with me. I can't tell you where, the walls have ears. I can tell you that both Hermione and Luna are there, and they'd love to see you. I can also tell you that you may be able to get some answers there that you've been denied until now, along with the opportunity to make your own choices."

Harry looked down at her for a while in silence. The serious look he saw seemed out of place on the face of the happy-go-lucky young Auror. He tried to summon the cynicism that had become a part of him recently, but couldn't bring it to the surface. For whatever reason, his instincts were telling him to trust her, and they were more often right than wrong.

"OK, I'll come with you." He gave her a lopsided grin. "After all, anything's better than staring at these four walls any longer. How much should I bring? How long will I be gone?"

Dora didn't miss the fact that his grin never reached his eyes, which only made her concern increase. "I don't know how long we'll be, better bring everything." He turned and began to pack his books and parchments. He missed the sudden flash of anger in her eyes, and her mutter of, "If I have my way, you'll never be coming back to this place again." She began using her wand to help him with his packing.

When the packing was done, she shrunk his trunk and handed it to him. As he slipped it into his pocket, she took him by the arm, and they Apparated away. Seconds later, they arrived in the entry hall at Black Manor.

_**HPatWC HPatWC HPatWC HPatWC HPatWC HPatWC HPatWC HPatWC**_

To say that Harry was astounded would be a severe understatement. He had expected to find himself at the Grangers' or Tonks' home, or perhaps even the Lovegoods' house. Instead he stood in the entry of what was clearly the grandest manor house he had every seen. _"Who on earth lives here?"_ he wondered, _"And why did Tonks bring me here?" _He turned his head to ask just those questions, but before he got even one syllable out he was hit by a cloud of fluffy brown hair attached to a one of his best friends.

"Harry! You're here!" Hermione exclaimed as she wrapped her arms around him.

"Astute powers of observation, Hermione," he commented wryly, "but just where _is_ here?"

"She didn't tell you? Dora! Why didn't you tell Harry where you were taking him? Though I suppose you couldn't really tell him at the Dursleys' could you. But then why haven't you told him now?"

"Probably because you haven't let her get a word in edgewise, 'Mione," a dreamy female voice added from behind the cloud of hair that still obscured Harry's vision.

"Oops, I'm sorry Harry," she said and stepped back a little bit. As she moved back, he could see Luna standing behind her, her usual otherworldly expression on her face. He turned to her smiling and opened his arms, and she came forward and gave him a hug. He couldn't see her expression change to a frown from his position, but Dora did.

Dora spoke up next. "To answer your question, Harry, you are in Black Manor. Yes, I know this isn't Number 12," she continued before he could interrupt, "but you can get all the details from my Mum. She's waiting for us in the library." She pointed to a corridor off to the left. "If you'll head down that hall to the last open door on the left, I'll join you in a moment."

Harry nodded and began wandering down the hall, looking all around him at the manor furnishings. As he left, Dora turned quickly to the two other girls.

"All right, did anyone else notice anything different about Harry?" she asked, pitching her voice so the subject of the conversation wouldn't hear them

Hermione nodded. "He's more… closed off than normal. Harry is a fairly reserved person in general, but this is extreme even for him. It's even worse if you compare it to the way his moods were this past year. He was going up and down like a manic barometer."

Luna sighed. "This is what I was concerned about. He's walled off his emotions; he's not allowing himself to feel anything. It's probably a defence to try and hide from the pain of Sirius' death, but the danger is that if it goes on for too long, the results could be explosive—literally. Emotion fuels magick, so if he bottles up his emotions for too long, when they finally break free…"

Dora nodded and then looked at Luna sharply. "You're an Empath, aren't you? I've suspected it for a while, but now I'm almost certain. You know what Harry's feeling because you can sense it."

Luna nodded. "Yes, I _am_ an Empath—among other things. We need to discuss this in more detail later, but I'd rather wait 'til all four of us are together. Right now there's something more important to deal with. We're approaching a crucial nexus in events. Whatever happens in the next little while, it's imperative that we all remain supportive of Harry. No matter what you hear or see, do not pull back. I'll explain later, but please just trust me for now."

Dora and Hermione looked at one another, and then back at Luna. Hermione spoke. "We trust you, Moonbeam, but we'll want that explanation later."

Luna nodded, her normal dreamy expression replaced by a startlingly determined look. "Agreed, now let's catch up with Harry before he reaches the library without us."

They hurried down the hall, drawing level with Harry just in time for the four of them to enter the library together.

_**HPatWC HPatWC HPatWC HPatWC HPatWC HPatWC HPatWC HPatWC**_

Dora introduced Harry to her mother, and the four of them arranged themselves comfortably in front of the desk. After welcoming Harry to the house and apologizing for the abrupt manner in which Dora had brought him there, Andromeda explained how Sirius had appointed her as Regent to House Black, showed him a piece of parchment revealing the Secret of the location of Black Manor, and shared with him the same pensieve memories that she had shown the girls. After he had viewed her memories, Andy and the girls sat quietly giving Harry a chance to absorb what he had seen and heard.

After a short silence, Harry spoke up. "Let me see if I've got this right. Sirius," his voice caught just slightly as he said this, "named me as his heir, since he didn't have any children of his own, and he didn't want to see the Black assets going to Bellatrix or Narcissa. Then, because he didn't think he'd live past this summer, he made you Regent to House Black so you'd have the authority to look out for my interests, rather than leaving matters in Dumbledore's hands. I had a Godmother no one ever told me about, but she's dead, too. Oh, yes, and my parents' wills were never executed. Is that about the size of it?"

Andromeda nodded. "That covers what you've seen in these memories. Leaving aside the more personal matters, you should also be aware that you'll inherit more assets once your parents' wills are read."

Harry looked puzzled. "What assets? The house at Godric's Hollow was destroyed, I think, and I've already inherited the vault at Gringotts."

Andromeda's eyes widened. "That's just your trust vault, set up for your education and expenses until you turn seventeen. The Potter Family has extensive assets beyond that; they're even older than the Blacks. Like the Blacks, they hold a seat on the Ruling Council of the Wizengamot, and a seat on the Hogwarts Board of Governors. Didn't anyone ever inform you of this?"

Harry had a bleak look on his face. "Chalk it up to yet another secret that Dumbledore should have told me and never bothered to. I suppose this answers the question of whether I can trust his promise from the end of last year not to keep things from me. If he'd really meant it I think he would have mentioned at least some of this, by now."

Hermione looked over at Harry. "Are you taking about the meeting you had with the Headmaster the night we came back from the Department of Mysteries? I'd never seen you as angry as you were that night."

Harry nodded. "That was the night he told me the prophecy, and I found out just how little say I had in my own life."

Dora's eyebrows rose, "I thought the prophecy was destroyed that night in the battle."

"The globe was, but the Headmaster had heard the original prophecy and showed it to me in his pensieve."

"Can you tell us what it said?"

"Yeah, I can. Dumbledore probably wouldn't like it; he told me to be very careful who I told—in fact I'm pretty sure he'd much rather I didn't tell anyone. But frankly, at this moment, I don't really give a damn what he thinks. It would be easier to show you, though. May I use your pensieve, Mrs. Tonks? you'll need to show me how to extract the memory, though. I've only used a pensieve for viewing other people's memories before."

"Of course, you can use the pensieve, Harry; in fact, it's probably yours, or will be once Sirius' will is read. But please, do call me Andy or Andromeda." She then explained how the pensieve worked, and Harry withdrew the memory from his mind, copied it into the pensieve, and then replaced it. The five of them entered the pensieve, and watched the events unfold. They saw Dumbledore's confessions to Harry, the viewing of the prophecy memory, and Harry's subsequent destruction of the Headmaster's office. When they finished and withdrew, Harry sat staring down at his hands. He looked up when he felt someone touching his shoulder to see Hermione standing beside him. In her eyes, he saw no sign of pity or horror at his fate, merely caring and determination. Looking at the others, he saw similar feelings reflected in their eyes as well.

Andromeda cleared her throat. "I think before we can do any further planning, or even have any truly meaningful discussions, we need to gather as much information as possible. In that vein, Harry, I've written a letter to Bonecrusher, asking him to schedule a meeting for the reading of Sirius' and your parents' wills tomorrow morning. If that's agreeable with you, please read over the letter and sign it at the bottom."

She handed Harry a piece of parchment:

———————————————————————————————

Gringotts Department of Wills and Trusts

Bonecrusher, Black Family Trust Representative

Pursuant to the will of the late Sirius Orion Black, Head and Lord of the Ancient and Most Noble House of Black, we would like to schedule the will reading for the morning of Friday, July 12, 1996, at 10:00AM. The attendees will be as follows:

Harry James Potter

Andromeda Black Tonks

Nymphadora Cassiopeia Black Tonks

Hermione Jane Granger

Luna Lorelei Lovegood

Remus John Lupin

The first five attendees are already aware of this request, so it will only be necessary for you to contact Mr. Lupin to ensure his presence.

At the same time, please be prepared to read the wills of James Harold Potter and Lily Marie Evans Potter, pursuant to the clauses therein.

Should the proposed time present any difficulties, please notify us immediately.

Sincerely

Andromeda Black Tonks, Regent of House Black

Harry James Potter, Heir to House Black

———————————————————————————————

Harry shrugged and said, "It looks fine to me, Mrs.-er, Andromeda. I can't say I'm very familiar with legal-speak but…" He took the quill Andromeda handed him and signed his name on the bottom line. He winced at the first stroke of the pen, but continued. Once he set the quill down, however, his hand began to shake.

Hermione leaned forward and said, "Harry, are you all right?" Looking into his eyes, she gasped suddenly. The other two girls moved forward and looked at Harry's face. It had gone completely blank. His eyes were dull and unresponsive.

"Harry… Harry!" Hermione cried out. "What's the matter with him?" Just then she glanced at the quill and saw a drop of red on the point. Looking at the document, she saw his signature was in a different coloured ink. Turning sharply to Andromeda, she asked brusquely, "Was that a Blood Quill he used?"

Andromeda looked surprised. "Of course, it's standard for this type of request. What's the problem?"

"Oh, damn," cursed Hermione. "I didn't get a chance to tell any of you. Umbridge used a Blood Quill with several students last year for detention; she made Harry write 'I will not tell lies' over and over through at least 10 or 15 hours. It scarred his hand; you can still see it if you look. I think he must be having a flashback episode."

Luna shook her head. "It's worse than that, though the flashback is probably what triggered it. He's withdrawing completely into his mind, cutting off all emotional response, not merely suppressing it. If we don't reach him soon, it'll be too late." She turned to Dora, "Help me here." She began to pull Harry's chair back from the desk, and Dora quickly started to help. Luna then pushed Hermione down onto her knees in front of Harry. "Take hold of his hands and call him, 'Mione."

Hermione grabbed Harry's hands in hers, and called out his name. "Harry, Harry! Come back to me!"

Harry looked up, his eyes still distant and unfocused. "Hermione? I'm sorry you got hurt. I should have listened to you. It's all my fault. Cedric dead… Sirius dead… you hurt… Ginny hurt… Tonks hurt. All my fault… Too much pain… too much grief…" His head dropped again and his voice trailed off.

"Damn, Damn, DAMN!" Dora and Hermione both stared at the suddenly cursing Luna. "It's not working; he feels too much pain and guilt from recent events. He's pulling further away. We need to make him feel safe. Dora, switch places with Hermione."

The two girls immediately reversed places at Luna's command. As Dora took Harry's hands, Luna knelt beside her and Hermione rested her hands on Harry's shoulders. "Dora, dearheart, if ever you've trusted me, now is the time to show it. Revert to your base form, and call to him as forcefully as you can. It's our only hope."

Dora gulped, then nodded. Shimmering, she reverted to her base albino form. Staring into Harry's eyes, she called out to him. "Harry, Harry, please talk to me. Harry?"

It took a minute, but Dora kept calling until slowly, Harry's head came up and his eyes focused on her. A puzzled expression came over his face, as if he were mentally reaching for something. Suddenly his face cleared, and his head cocked in disbelief. He opened his mouth, and a small piping voice like that of a little child emerged. "N-Nymphy?"

Dora nodded furiously, tears in her eyes. "Harry-bear, do you recognize me?"

"Nymphy!" he shouted louder, and then flung his arms around her. "It hurts, Nymphy, it all hurts so bad. Make it stop!" He clung to her, sobbing as if his heart was breaking. Around them, objects in the room began to tremble and shake.

"Yes!" Luna cried, beginning to smile. "It's working. He's coming back, but we've got to make him feel safe. Dora, Apparate him up to the bed in Hermione's room, we'll be along as quickly as possible."

Dora nodded, and the two of them disappeared. Luna turned to Andromeda who was sitting stunned both by the turn of events and by the new forceful side of Luna's personality.

"Tell the Grangers and my father that we won't be down to dinner and need to be left alone. And you might as well go ahead and send off the letter to Gringotts; either we'll have him stabilized by morning or it won't matter any more."

Andromeda nodded, getting up and leaving the room to head to the Owlery.

Hermione looked up, tears in her eyes. "You mean, we could lose him?"

Luna nodded, tears forming in her own eyes. "I'm afraid so, 'Mione. He's on the ragged edge. He's had so much pain, fear, and loss in his life, he wants nothing more than to just withdraw from it all. I can't really blame him, but if he does, he'll die; his body will shut down. He will literally will his magick to kill him. I hoped we'd have more time before we reached this crisis point, to get him used to us, to people caring for him. Unfortunately, events have overtaken us, and we'll have to do it the hard way."

Luna lifted Hermione's chin in her hand, staring intently into her eyes. "You're going to have live up to your House, Hermione. You need to be brave now, braver than you've ever been. We'll all have to be. If we're going to save him, we'll have to open ourselves to him completely, knowing that we're risking rejection."

Hermione looked at Luna, first terrified, then resolute. "If that's what it takes to save Harry, then I'll do it."

Luna hugged her fiercely. "Brave heart. Come on." Taking Hermione by the hand, she led her out of the library and off to her bedroom.

_**HPatWC HPatWC HPatWC HPatWC HPatWC HPatWC HPatWC HPatWC**_

Luna and Hermione entered the bedroom, to find Dora already on the bed with Harry, his head between her breasts, rocking him and crooning to him. He was still sobbing quietly, shaking from reaction to his emotional collapse.

At once, Luna moved to the side of the bed and began pulling off her robes. She looked over at Hermione and said, "Strip. We need to do this skin to skin; there must be no barriers between the magicks in our bodies. This is why many of the old covens performed their rituals skyclad." She finished removing her robes, then helped Hermione out of her robes and knickers. Despite the situation Hermione blushed from head to toe. She'd never been naked in front of a boy before, even if he wasn't paying attention to her.

Luna turned to the bed and pulled her wand from behind her ear, pointed it at Harry, muttered an _Evanesco_ charm, and his clothes vanished. She motioned Hermione into the bed on the other side of Harry from Dora. Hermione climbed in and wrapped her arms around Harry; he whimpered, and then relaxed into her embrace. Meanwhile, Luna pointed her wand at Dora and repeated the charm, vanishing her clothes as well. Finally, she climbed onto the bed herself and knelt, down by Harry and Hermione's feet, resting her hand on Hermione's calf, slowly tracing circles.

They could all hear words now through Harry's sobs, muffled as they were by Dora's chest. "Nymphy, I remember now; I remember. You went away; you all went away, and I was left alone. Worse than alone, with _them_!" There was no need to ask who "_them"_ meant, they all remembered their impressions of the Dursleys at the station. "Why? Why did everyone leave me?"

Dora pulled Harry's head up so he could see her face. Tears were flowing down her cheeks. "Oh, Harry-bear, I didn't want to leave you, none of us did. Your parents were killed, and you'd disappeared. No one could tell me where you were. It broke my heart; I thought I'd lost you forever. I love you; I've always loved you, from the day you were born." She buried her face in his neck and wept, his arms wrapped around her.

"She isn't the only one who loves you, Harry," said Hermione from his other side, her voice ringing with the conviction of her heart. "I've loved you from the end of my first year, when I hugged the bravest boy I've ever known, my first friend, and told him what a great wizard he'd be. I've wanted to tell you so many times, but I was afraid. Afraid you'd never see me as anything but your bookworm friend, afraid I'd ruin our friendship. Well, I refuse to live in fear anymore. I love you, Harry James Potter, and I'll be yours, any way you'll have me. Friend, lover, wife, concubine" she blushed as she said this last, "it doesn't matter how but I will always be there.

Harry rolled onto his back, his right arm still wrapped around Dora, and turned his head to stare at Hermione in wonder. "I-I-I… I never knew you felt that way. I always thought you fancied Ron. I love you too, Hermione. I realized it the moment you came walking down the stairs for the Yule ball our fourth year, and I was suddenly insanely jealous of whoever you were going to the ball with. I could barely take my eyes off of you, which didn't endear me to Parvati," he said with a rueful chuckle. Then his face grew serious again.

"When you were hit with that curse in the DoM, I wanted to die. I thought you were dead, and I just wanted to lie down and die with you. Then Neville said he felt a pulse, and everything changed. I was so angry, at myself for bringing you with me, at Sirius, at Snape, but mostly at the Death Eaters. I wanted to kill them all, just to keep you safe."

He stopped talking in surprise as Luna crawled up his legs and sat down on his thighs. His eyes bulged as he realized she was naked. They bulged even further as he noticed that he was, too, and Dora and Hermione as well. He lay there, making fish-faces and blushing furiously. He tried to say something, but Luna just laid her hand over his mouth to silence him.

"Let me speak first, Harry. Like Dora and Hermione, I, too, love you. I understand being alone; I've lived that way half of my life. When I saw my mother die when I was nine, it hurt so much. I never wanted to hurt like that again, so I created a new person, "Loony" Lovegood. She was my shield from the world. As long as people thought I was that strange, they'd never get close to me, and I'd be safe from that pain. It worked very well, right up until the train ride to Hogwarts last year when I met you. Then, and throughout the whole year, you refused to believe in "Loony," you kept looking for Luna. You walked through every wall I put up as if it weren't there, until you'd crept into my heart almost without me noticing. I felt your pain after Sirius' death, and had to come to you. That's when we talked at the end of school, and that's when I accepted that I love you, and always will even if you never return the feeling." She removed her hand from his mouth.

Harry just shook his head in disbelief. "I just don't believe it. The only three women I could even consider a relationship with, and each of you are trying to tell me you love me."

Hermione raised her head up on one elbow. "Why do you say that, Harry? Why only us? I know Ginny's been in love with you forever."

Harry snorted and shook his head. "Ginny's been in love with The-Boy-Who-Lived forever. She's in love with a fantasy of a knight in shining armor, not a real person. The three of you are the only ones who've ever cared about Harry. Not the Boy-Who-Lived, not the famous Harry Potter—just Harry. Dora—my Nymphy was my true first friend, from the fragments I remember of being a toddler; and last year, you treated me like an equal, like you would another adult. You, Hermione, you've nagged me, bullied me to do my homework, and to follow the rules. You've cried over me when I was hurt. It's always been Harry you saw. Even Ron can't say that."

He looked up at Luna. "And then there's you, my strange, lovely friend. Every time you spoke to me, and I looked in your eyes, all I saw reflected back was me. No expectations, no preconceptions, just one person looking at another. You ignored the gossip, the stories, as if they'd never existed. You just treated me like me."

Then he sighed and shook his head, dropping it to his chest. "If things were different, maybe I could let myself love any of you—if I had the slightest idea what real love is. Growing up with the Dursleys, I didn't exactly learn the softer emotions. It's probably better this way, though. Better to never understand love, rather than leaving anyone behind grieving when the inevitable end arrives."

Luna grabbed his chin and pulled his head up to look him in the eyes. The dreamy, vacant expression she normally wore had vanished completely, replaced by a silvery gaze as hard as steel. Harry, Dora, and Hermione were all mesmerized by her.

"Listen to me, Harry James Potter. There is no inevitable fate. No," she said, cutting off his attempt to interrupt, "In this I know far more than you. I've heard the prophecy too, and I still tell you, there is no inevitable fate. I'm an Empath, as Dora and Hermione know, but I'm also a Seer." She grinned at their shocked expressions. "No, not like Trelawney is; like Trelawney _wants_ to be. Sybill Trelawney is a Prophet, she can foretell future probabilities unconsciously, but she can't consciously see them. I on the other hand, am a Seer, we don't see the future, merely the future possibilities. Fate isn't set; it's our actions and choices that shape it. All I can do is sometimes see what those actions may lead to further down the road. I See a little more, and a little further, that's all."

"The prophecy says that "either must die at the hands of the other, for neither can live while the other survives." It doesn't say _you_ have to die, just that one of you must. Well, there are three witches here who are bound and determined that if someone has to die, it will be Voldemort, not you! One of them is the smartest witch of her generation, one is possibly the most powerful witch since Morgana Le Fay; and, with no false modesty whatsoever, one is the most powerful Seer since Rowena Ravenclaw. With all that one your side, what chance does Voldemort have?"

Harry clearly didn't know how to respond. After a moment he looked up, and his voice as he spoke was very small. "I just wish I thought I had a chance of discovering what love truly is."

Luna smiled gently at him. "You may not be aware of it, but you're closer to that understanding than you believe. Anyone who's listened to you talking to us here would know that. You've always shown a kindness, a tenderness of feeling that should be inconceivable for someone raised as you were. I'd say that your capacity for love is astounding."

"Realize something, Harry. There is no one in this room that does not love you. There is no one in this room that does not love one another. If you will let us, we will help you discover the love inside you, individually and collectively. Speaking as an Empath, I can assure you that the fire burns bright within you, strong enough to warm us all."

Harry just lay there, speechless. Hermione stroked his cheek with one hand as she spoke.

"I don't know about anyone else, but I'm feeling completely drained." She looked at the other three, and saw their agreement. "Emotional shocks seem to have a much greater impact than any other. It may only be 7:30 or so, but I suggest that we go to sleep now, and pick this discussion up in the morning."

Everyone agreed, and Harry began trying to rise. Luna pushed him back down, and Hermione and Dora grabbed him on either side again.

"And just where do you think you're going, Mr. Potter?" asked Luna archly.

Harry sputtered. "I was going to find a bed to sleep in."

"And what's wrong with the bed you're in?" was her response.

"Agh… Er… you all… no clothes… can't…," coherent speech appeared to be beyond him at that moment.

Hermione took pity on him. "Harry, you've had the greatest shocks of all of us tonight. The last thing you need is to be alone. You need to be with us, where you know that you are safe and loved."

He tried to speak again. "But you're all… and so am I. What if I… touch something I shouldn't?"

Dora smiled down at him, chuckling a little. "Harry, you're being invited into the bed of three witches who've told you they love you. What makes you think that there's anything you could touch that we'd object to?" Her smile turned to a smirk at his almost constipated expression, and then to an evil grin. "Besides, the three of us have been sleeping together like this for weeks. What do you think of that?" A sudden squawk from Luna as part of Harry "stiffened" into her lower quarters told them all exactly what he thought of that, as well as his furious blush.

"Why thank you, Nymph, I think you've just guaranteed that _I_ won't get any sleep tonight," said Harry with a roll of his eyes.

Hermione shook her head. "No, we all need to sleep; tomorrow is likely to be very busy, and very exhausting. Dora, if you'll check on the bedside table, you'll find a flask of Dreamless Sleep potion that Madame Pomfrey gave me. I haven't been using it much, so there are more then enough doses for us all."

Dora picked up the flask, and they each took a dose of the potion. Then Luna moved to behind Hermione, and they all crawled under the covers. Hermione and Dora each rested their heads on Harry's chest as they drifted off to sleep, Harry succumbing immediately after them. Luna wrapped her left arm over Hermione, and rested her hand on Harry's stomach.

"Sleep, my love, tomorrow will take care of tomorrow. Rest in our bed, our arms, and our love. We'll catch you if you start to fall."

With that, Luna let herself drop into the arms of Morpheus as well.

**_Author's Notes:_**

**_Wolf-_** Well, here's another chapter posted. Sorry about the slight delay, I ended up getting a nasty head injury last week, and it's thrown off my writing schedule a bit. However, the good news is that the first chapters of a couple of other stories are well in progress, and should be posting soon.

A couple of notes on things in the developing story. First of all, regarding Dora. I know that "Tonks in her base form is unattractive to everyone but Harry, prompting them to fall madly in love" has become a cliche, but that's not what I'm doing here. The point isn't that Dora is unattractive in her base form, she's actually quite beautiful. The point is her self-image. She grew up knowing that she looked different than everyone else, and to an adolescent, particularly a girl, different tends to equal bad, as most kids just want to fit in. Her parents, Harry's parents, and Harry are the only ones that never paid attention to how she looks, and that is why she see's him differently. Their love for one another is founded in a connection made in their childhood, not a recent development.

Secondly, it may seem strange that Dora has gotten involved with two underage witches. I intend to go into more detail on the background later, but for now let me just say that I'm not going to be rigorously sticking to JKR's population numbers, and that in my view of her world, Witch births outnumbered Wizard births about 5 to 2. Because of this, there will be societal differences regarding marriages and other relationships, and intimate relationships between witches are not only not taboo, but accepted, as long as all participants are beyond puberty.

_**Rose-**_ Well, we've gotten Harry and the girls together, now we'll just have to see where things go from here. Hopefully Wolf will not be attacked by any more ceiling fans trying to scramble his brains, and we can get the next installment to you in a reasonably timely fashion. As you can tell from Wolf's last comment, some of the plot bunnies have made it through the fence and into the garden, but I'm still trying to fight the other's off, or at least herd them into hutches for later development. Now where did I put the carrots I dosed with a sleeping potion?


	4. Chapter 3:Willing Collaborators

Disclaimer- It's not mine, it's JKR's

**Chapter Three-Willing Collaborators**

_Gringotts-Diagon Alley  
__Friday, July 12, 1996  
__9:55 AM_

Harry still had a rather bemused smile on his face as he, along with Andromeda, Dora, Hermione and Luna, appeared in the private portkey entry chamber in Gringotts Bank. He had quite enjoyed the novel experience of waking up with three warm, soft, and delightfully nude witches in bed with him. He'd had a few panicked moments when he first woke and realized where his hands were, but that feeling had soon faded when it was made abundantly clear to him that the other parties involved had no problem with his hands roaming where they willed. While such matters had not progressed too far, there had been enough touching, exploring, and kissing to make up quite a few Patronus-worthy memories.

He let go of the silk cord Andromeda had made into a portkey and looked around. . The walls of the room they had arrived in were stone, and seemed to have been carved out of solid rock. A deep scarlet rug covered the floor, but otherwise the room was bare. The only exit was a heavy wooden door on one wall; no other doors or windows were to be seen.

Andromeda turned to Harry, having noticed him examining the room. "We're far beneath Gringotts, at the level of the deeper vaults. This room is reserved for the thirteen Most Ancient and Noble Families, two of which are the Blacks and the Potters. The room is warded against most transportational magicks and only accessible by portkey. Once you arrive, that door is the only way out. It's a portal—goblin magick. You place your hand on the door and announce your destination. If you're expected, the door opens to that location. If you're not, well, I imagine that the results are less than pleasant. It's not even possible to portkey back out until you've passed through into Gringotts and the wards are reset to allow exit. Quite a complex system, but the goblins have a mastery of wards that no wizard can match, and their defensive magicks are brutal and effective."

She walked over to the door, rested her hand on it, and said, "Bonecrusher's office." The door glowed for a second, and then opened. Andromeda motioned to Harry, who passed through the door, followed by Dora, Hermione, and Luna. Andromeda brought up the rear, closing the door behind her.

Bonecrusher, a dignified-looking goblin, was sitting behind his desk where a number of crystal orbs were beside a pile of folders and two small boxes. In front of the desk sat Remus J. Lupin. He had been informed via owl the previous evening that his presence was required at Gringotts to clear up some financial matters, but had not been told what they were. He had also been strictly instructed to tell no one of the summons. He had followed the directions, even though he had been sorely tempted to talk over the matter with Albus Dumbledore. As he saw Harry entering the room, he wondered if he'd been wrong not to.

"Harry, what are you doing here?" He jumped up and crossed the room to the arriving group. "I thought you were at Privet Drive? Are you supposed to be here? Does Professor Dumbledore know about this? What about protection; you could be at great risk." He was cut off by Andromeda before he could continue.

"Hello, Remus."

Lupin looked away from Harry to see who had followed him into the room. His eyes rested first on Dora, then Hermione, Luna, Andromeda, and finally returned to Harry. He opened his mouth then closed it again as he gazed intently at each member of the group and then at Bonecrusher. Harry could almost see the wheels turning in his head. He understood now why Sirius had always claimed that Moony was the brains behind the Marauders; he could see Remus making connections and drawing conclusions.

At last, Remus turned back to Andromeda and returned her greeting, "Hello, Andy. It's been a while. I assume Sirius is behind this little gathering? It has all the hallmarks of one of his patented "let's turn the world on its ear" schemes."

Andromeda grinned. "Well, we are here because of Siri; it's true. As for the rest, I've no doubt that some of what happens today will upset certain peoples' plans. Whether that's a bad thing or not will likely depend on your point of view. I'm simply following the instructions left to me by my little "brother," and my Lord."

Remus' eyes widened, the significance of Andy's last word was not lost on him. "But Harry…" he started, when he was interrupted yet again.

At that moment, Harry broke in. He was more than a little annoyed to have people, once again, talking about him as if he wasn't there. "Harry is here, and more than capable of speaking for himself," he said rather sharply.

Remus turned to him, a bit surprised at the harshness in the boy's voice. He looked carefully into Harry's face for a moment, and then his shoulders slumped. His voice, when he spoke, was much more subdued. "I'm sorry, Cub. I wasn't trying to ignore or insult you," he said, "I was just surprised to see you, and, frankly I was worried for you. I guess I overreacted," he added his voice trailing off.

Harry's expression softened. He could see that Remus looked tired and stretched. It came to him then that Sirius' death had been a tragedy for more than just Dora and him. He'd lost a godfather he'd known for several years, and Dora a close cousin, but Remus had lost a life-long friend—almost a brother—and that this was the _second_ time he had lost him.

He stepped forward and placed a hand on Remus' shoulder. "I'm sorry too, Professor. I didn't mean to snap at you. Dumbledore," he said, startling Remus with the venom in his voice, "is a bit of a sore subject for me right now. The old fool's inability to accept that my life and actions are mine to dictate, not his, has cost far too much for too many."

Despite Harry's obvious anger at the Headmaster, Remus felt the need to defend the man. "Harry," he said gently, "obviously you're upset with him, and I'm certain you have your reasons. But I'm equally sure that Professor Dumbledore has never meant to hurt anyone, particularly anyone like you that he cares about—only protect them."

Harry barked a laugh. "If this is how he protects the people he cares about, then the gods help anyone he wants to hurt. No," he brushed off Remus' attempt to break in, "I don't want to hear it! He insisted my parents go into hiding, and they died. He claimed to be protecting Sirius, yet he was more a prisoner in Grimmauld Place than he was in Azkaban! And the result, death, again. As for me, well, how did he put it? Oh yes, 'Five years ago you arrived at Hogwarts, Harry, safe and whole, as I had planned and intended. Well—not quite whole. You had suffered. I knew you would when I left you on your aunt and uncle's doorstep. I knew I was condemning you to ten dark and difficult years.' He knew what life with the Dursleys would be like before he sent me there, and he did it anyway, and he's sent me back every summer for five years. So spare me the platitudes about Dumbledore's good intentions. He paved a road to Hell with them, but condemned me to walk down it."

Harry turned away and walked back to the girls. Dora and Hermione each laid a hand on his shoulders, and Luna wrapped her arms around him from behind. Remus just stared wordlessly as Andromeda stepped up beside him.

"He has a right to every bitter feeling he's expressed to you, Remus, and more that he hasn't. The Wizarding world as a whole has failed Harry James Potter, but none more so than Albus Dumbledore. I need an oath from you now, before another word is said. A wizard's oath that you will reveal nothing you learn here to anyone, not even Dumbledore."

Remus turned to face her, his eyes haunted. "Andy, I don't know if I can. I've made promises…"

She looked back at him implacably. "I understand that, Remus, but it's not me asking you. It's Siri. He told me the words to use. 'Marauder's Vow, Moony. The last of our pack needs your support.' That's what he told me to say to you when this day came."

Remus stared at her for a moment and then looked deep inside himself. He was deeply conflicted. The promises he had made to the Order of the Phoenix and those he had made to Lily, James and Sirius were at odds in a way he had never thought they would be. Which promises should he keep? The answer, oddly enough, came from the last quarter he would have expected. The wolf deep in his soul spoke to him, not in words, but feelings. The wolf's care and loyalty were for his pack as they had always been. Now the pack was dead, all but the last cub who must be cared for above everything. In the end, there was no choice to make—it had been made long ago. He raised his wand, "I, Remus John Lupin, swear to divulge nothing that I learn here, upon my life and magick."

Andy smiled then and led him back over to Bonecrusher's desk. The others had already taken seats on a sofa facing the goblin: Harry in the middle, Dora on the left, Hermione on the right, and Luna sitting on the floor with her legs curled under her like a cat, while she leaned back against Harry's legs. Remus and Andy settled themselves in chairs next to them, and they all turned their attention to Bonecrusher.

Bonecrusher smiled, a somewhat disturbing expression on a Goblin, if one was not used to it. "We are here for an informal hearing of the last wishes of Sirius Orion, Lord Black, his passing having been confirmed as per the Protocols of Albion. For those who are not familiar with these matters, a set of enchanted gems is maintained by the Wills and Inheritances Department of Gringotts, one for each of the thirteen Noble Houses. These gems are charmed to glow with an inner fire. Upon the death of one of the Lords of the Houses, the gem goes dark until the next Lord takes office. At the same time, the House ring returns to Gringotts' care. These two events occurred for House Black approximately seven weeks ago, with the ring returning to my office," he gestured towards one of the small boxes on the desk, "and the Black gem, an obsidian sphere, fading to a dim glow. As the light was not completely extinguished, I presume that a Regent was appointed by the last Lord?"

Andromeda raised her right hand, the silver and onyx ring appearing on her finger. "I was sworn to that position, by the hand, will, and magick of Sirius, Lord Black."

Bonecrusher's disturbing smile reappeared. "Very good. You will be required to take the Black Seat on the Warlock's Council for the Lughnasadh meeting of the Wizengamot on August 1, where the formal will reading will take place. This is acceptable to you?"

Andromeda nodded her agreement.

Bonecrusher clapped his hands together, and reached for one of the crystals on his desk. "Then let us hear the will and wishes of Lord Black."

He tapped the crystal, and a pure tone rang out. A mist swirled in the center of the crystal, and then poured out, forming a cloud above it. The cloud slowly resolved into the face of Sirius Black. The face opened its eyes, and grinned wildly.

"Well, this message is being played, so I suppose I'm officially an ex-Padfoot. Now, to do this properly; I, Sirius Orion, Lord Black, being of sound mind and body. We'll pause here for a moment, and allow Moony to get himself under control after the "sound mind" comment." There was a brief snicker from the direction of Remus' chair. "And really, sound body? Who came up with that? I'm dead; your body can't really get much less sound than that. So, more accurately, I, Sirius Orion, Lord Black, being of totally unsound mind and conspicuously absent body, do declare these to be my last wishes. There, doesn't that sound more like me?"

In spite of themselves, everyone in the room was smiling. It was hard to remain gloomy in the face of Sirius' mad exuberance, even when it was only a recording.

"That should have broken you all out of the funk you are no doubt in, owing to the lack of my glorious presence." The face's expression became more serious. "All joking aside, mourn me if you will, but don't lose yourselves in the grief. I've known this was coming for a while; ask Andy if you want the details. I had the chance to make my peace with it, and I'm looking forward to seeing Prongs and Tiger-Lily again. Now, on to the fun part, giving away goodies and generally pissing off the people who bothered me in life!"

"First of all, to my old friend and fellow Marauder, Remus John Lupin. Moony my friend, you'd never take a Knut from me while I lived, scorning it as charity. Well guess what, I'm dead now and you can't stop me! I've transferred two million galleons to your vault, as well as the deed for the Shrieking Shack in Hogsmeade. I've had it completely renovated, including a secure room in the cellar for dealing with your furry little problem each month. Please, Moony, stay there and help Harry any way he'll let you. I've failed him too often, and though it's not fair, I'm asking you, brother to brother, help redeem my mistakes."

Remus choked back a sob, and nodded his head, as Andromeda laid a hand on his shoulder. "I will, Padfoot. Grace to you in the Summerlands, my pack-brother."

"Next, to my cousin Andromeda and her husband. I leave you five million galleons, and title to the Dower House, whose location I can't mention here courtesy of a certain irritating Headmaster, but you know where I mean. You can invoke your ownership inside the house using the Regent's ring I gave you, which will empower the Family wards and remove all other enchantments. Feel free to let the Order of the Phlaming Pheasant continue to use it for their clubhouse if you like, but you'll need the money to refurbish the old wreck. I also leave you ownership of one psychotic house-elf, and one equally psychotic portrait. Do as you will with Kreacher, but give the bitch one last metaphorical black eye for me. Hah, Moony, betcha didn't know I knew words that big, huh?"

"Along with the House and the money, I leave you one other thing that my grandfather wanted to give you, but never found the opportunity. I must say I agree enthusiastically. Discuss it with Ted, and if he's willing, style yourselves Theodore and Andromeda Black. As Lord Black I recognize your marriage in the sight of House and Blood, and name your daughter Nymphadora Cassiopeia Black as heir tertius to the Ancient and Noble House of Black. I charge you as Regent with the guardianship of my godson, Harry James Potter, and ask that you help restore our Family name from the cesspit the last generation dragged it into."

Andromeda smiled at her cousin's image through mixed tears of grief and pride. "I will, Siri, on my life."

"Dora, Hermione, Luna, forgive me if I skip over you for now; you'll understand why you're all here shortly. Finally, to my godson Harry James Potter, I leave the balance of the Black Estate, including the Trust, all other properties, assets, and honours, among them the title of Lord of the Most Ancient and Noble House of Black. Pup, when I became your godfather, your parents allowed me to conduct an ancient blood adoption ritual making you my heir secundus. Basically, this means that only the first-born child of my body would take precedence over you. My second-born would be third to you, and so on. Since I never had any children, Azkaban being a rather poor place to meet eligible witches, the whole mess is your problem now. Bonecrusher, if you'll please invest Harry with the House ring now?"

Bonecrusher tapped Sirius' sphere, picked up a small box off of his desk and handed it to Harry. Opening it, he found a massive silver ring set with an onyx stone, with a cameo of a Grim carved into the stone. Looking to Andromeda, who nodded her approval, he slipped the ring onto his right forefinger. Waves of coruscating energy poured out from the ring, formed an aura around his body for a brief moment, and then faded. Bonecrusher then tapped the sphere once more, and the recording continued.

"Since Bonecrusher has continued this recording, rather than switching to another sphere, it means that the Black Family magick has accepted you, Harry. This makes you Lord of the Family in your own right, as the Black Family held to the oldest traditions. While this is not emancipation per se, it does give you some adult rights reserved to underaged Lords of the Noble Families. Your restrictions against underage magick are removed. You have a voice in the Wizengamot and the Warlock's Council, though you cannot personally exercise your vote until you turn seventeen. You can however name a representative to vote for you, both there and on the Hogwarts Board of Governors, where the Black Family also has a seat. And finally, you are recognized as being of age for the purpose of receiving any and all inheritances. "

Sirius paused for a moment, and then spoke again. "Pup, I have one more thing to tell you about, but I think it's important that you hear some other things else first." The image turned to face Bonecrusher. "Bonecrusher, I, Sirius Orion Black, named guardian to Harry James Potter by James and Lily Potter, do charge you to play the last wills and testaments of James and Lily Potter now for Harry James Potter, my designated successor as his guardian, Andromeda Black, and any others that they agree should be present." Bonecrusher tapped the sphere once more, and Sirius' image froze.

Bonecrusher reached onto his desk and moved two more spheres forward. "Mr. Potter…"

Harry interrupted, "Please, sir, call me Harry."

The goblin's eyes widened, "Very well, Harry, but please address me as Bonecrusher, not sir. Goblins put more stock in our names and deeds than in assumed titles or honorifics. I say this as instruction only, not from any offense. Now, do either you or the Regent object to the presence of the others for this hearing, or wish anyone else to attend?"

Harry shook his head. "No, Bonecrusher. I trust everyone here, and don't have anyone else I need here." He dropped his head for a moment, muttering, "Only have to deal with his damned jealousy if Ron was here anyway." No one but Hermione heard him clearly, but she gave his hand a sympathetic squeeze.

Bonecrusher turned to Andromeda, who also shook her head. "Everyone here is either sworn to Harry's protection, or would lay down their lives for him regardless. And I think the closer we hold certain information, the better." She saw Remus wince slightly at that, clearly he understood that Dumbledore was one of the people she preferred to keep in the dark.

Bonecrusher nodded, and turned back to Harry. "I'll be playing your father's will first, followed by your mother's. Since she survived him, if only by a few minutes, his provisions came into effect first, followed by hers."

Seeing that everyone understood, he tapped the first sphere. Again, a cloud of smoke arose from the sphere, coalescing into a face. James Potter much resembled an older Harry, save that the messy hair was longer. Harry leaned forward in anticipation, as this would be one of the few times within memory that he had ever heard his father's voice.

"I, James Harold Potter, do declare that this is my last will and testament as of October 23, 1981. Should my wife, Lily Evans Potter, survive me, she is to have the use of fifty percent of all interest from any of my family monies, and permanent residence at any of our family properties, until the day of her death. Use of the remaining interest goes to our son Harry James Potter, and all interest and ownership of family monies and properties shall go to him upon his mother's death."

"Harry, if you're listening to this now, then I didn't make it through this damned war with Voldemort. Hopefully, your mother is sitting next to you holding your hand, or failing that, Sirius has raised you as per our wishes. War is always uncertain, which I why I'm making this will before your mother and I go into hiding. If I didn't survive, then my grandfather's titles will fall to you. The Potters are one of the thirteen Ancient and Noble Families, as such you will hold a seat on the Warlock's Council. If you're underage, appoint your mother as your representative, I can think of no finer choice. Whatever I have become, however I have grown, is owed to her. Before I met her I was little more than a pampered brat. Her willingness to believe in me inspired me to reach beyond myself, to become someone she could be proud of. I hope I succeeded."

"Harry, the day you were born and your mother handed you to me was one of the two finest moments of my life, matched only by that moment that your mother said "I do." You and your Mum are the best and most important parts of my life. If I died to protect you both, then I am well content."

"Son, one of the duties of the Ancient and Noble Houses is to perpetuate themselves. I would be remiss in my duties as Lord of House Potter if I did not provide for this with you. At the same time, having had your mother in my life I know the value of love in a marriage. So, I'm hedging my bets."

"The day after you were born Ted and Andy Tonks brought their daughter Nymphadora to see you. I was in the back of the room when Lily put you in Dora's lap. A white and gold aura flashed around the two of you for a moment, then vanished. I think Lily and I were the only ones to see it. The only thing known to cause that aura is the formation of a Soul Bond. A Soul Bond links individuals together for this life, and beyond. It does not necessarily mean romantic love, but it does mean a level of closeness that you can literally trust with your life and your soul. The Soul Bonded cannot betray one another."

Needless to say, your Mum and I watched you and Dora together carefully after that. Whenever you were most upset, you wanted your "Nymphy". She could calm you when even Lily and I couldn't. Your first steps weren't to us, but toddling after her. And I can safely say that she returned your love in full measure."

"I hope that the two of you have had the opportunity to grow up together, and build on that Bond. I've negotiated a formal Betrothal between you and Nymphadora with Andy Tonks. If I didn't survive, get her to explain the system to you, she'll understand it better than your mother, no matter how much she's read. It's the best chance I see for you to know the kind of love I have. Consider a last gift from your father."

"If you've had to listen to this will, then I didn't survive to be there for you, and for that I'm sorry. If I had to die, I hope that my death helped to protect you from growing up under the shadow of war that I did. I love you, son, never doubt that."

The playback ended, the figure disappeared. Harry seemed to cave in on himself a bit as the sound of his father's voice faded, and immediately the three girls wrapped themselves around him, giving him their silent love and support. Dora, in particular, held him close to her. They sat like that for some minutes as Harry tried to deal with the grief that welled up in him as he thought of his father and what might have been. Once he felt able to go on, he looked up and nodded to Bonecrusher to continue. Bonecrusher tapped the next sphere, and slowly the face of Lily Potter appeared above it.

"I, Lily Amelia Evans Potter, being in peril of death, do hereby declare this to be my last will and testament. All that I die possessed of I bequeath to my son and heir Harry James Potter."

"Harry, my darling boy, as much as I wish that you will never see this, I am almost certain that you will. I can't begin to describe the pain I feel knowing that we will probably not be there to see you grow into the fine man I know you will become. I carried you under my heart for nine months; the power and warmth I felt then told me all I needed to know about the kind of person my son would be. And nothing you've shown me in the past fifteen months would ever change that opinion."

"I trust that your father has explained the Potter Legacy in his will, and what it will mean to you. James is writing his will as an expedient, and to humour me, I'm afraid. My reason is more direct. I do not have the Gift of Sight, but my best friend Lorelei Ollivander Lovegood does. The Ollivanders are one of the oldest families in Clan Ravenclaw, and their power of Sight is eclipsed by few."

"Lee and I met on our first train ride to Hogwarts. We were sorted into Ravenclaw together, and for seven years shared our rooms, our books, our lives, and until I married James and she Edmund, our beds as well. In our fifth year we swore a blood-bound oath, which made us more than lovers, more than sisters. Thus were born Fire and Ice, even more notorious than the Marauders in some regards. Ask Sirius, Remus, or Peter if you want the sordid details."

"Anyway, my point in telling you all this is that just a few days ago I had two visits. The first was Eleanor, James' grandmother. She was very ill, and her visit was unexpected. She gave me a bronze and lapis ring and told me to try it on. I think she was honestly amazed when the magical aura flared and settled over me. She then explained that she was, as she put it, tidying up loose ends, as her illness was terminal. Unknown to James or I, she was the only surviving daughter of the Morrigan family, and thus Lady Morrigan, as well as Matriarch of Clan Ravenclaw. The ring she gave me marked me as Regent for my future daughter, since James' mother was now deceased, and he has no sisters. If I have no daughter, then the Regency shall pass to your wife, in trust for the next generation."

"The second arrival, shortly after Eleanor left, was Lee with her three-month old daughter Luna. We put the two of you down to nap together and sat talking in the next room. She told me many things she'd been Seeing lately: death, destruction, betrayal, much of it circling around symbols she took to represent our extended group of family and friends. She stressed that these were only possible futures, but she'd seen much more bad than good. Then, to our mutual surprise, she turned out to be Prophet as well as Seer. This is the Prophecy she made to me:

Child of the Lion and the Raven,

He has come, the heir to Lyonesse' power,

Marked with the power of the coming storm,

He will be the axis on which the future shall turn

Three shall ground him, three shall guard him,

Of sanguine whole, and half, and none.

When the once-fallen Shadow rises again,

And darkness is seen to cover Albion's land,

Then must his wings be spread and his roar be heard,

Else Light's return become naught but a dream.

The Faithful must allow the First Vaults to be opened,

The three must follow the Raven's flight,

Three must call three at the citadel of knowledge,

The guardian completes the circle of power.

Thirteen and one to bond in the old ways,

The caller of spirits must take up his crown,

If Darkness' spread is to be denied,

And Albion saved from the final fall.

"Harry, there are only a few things I can tell you about this prophecy. Lee and I were certain that you are the Child spoken of in the first verse, particularly given Eleanor's revelation. Lee was sure that 'the three' are three witches who will be very important in your life. She only saw two of them with any clarity. The first must be Dora Tonks; there can't be two who match her description. The second we thought sounded like Lee herself. The third she could get no clear vision of, all she received was an impression that 'she'll be more your daughter, Lily, than any you could ever bear.' I hope that description will be of some help to you."

"Our assumption about the second witch's identity was shattered shortly thereafter. We heard giggling from the other room where we'd left you and Luna napping and went to check. When we got there, we found the two of you wrapped in a white and gold aura, with stuffed toys flying around you like orbiting planets."

"I remembered what James told me about Soul Bonds after the incident with you and Dora, and discussed the matter with Lee. Under the circumstances, we agreed to a Betrothal bond between you and Luna. Don't panic, love. Yes, you are Betrothed to both Dora and Luna, but that doesn't have to mean more than you want it to. Besides, as Lord of both the Potter and Morrigan families, you will be expected to produce heirs from two different mothers, to keep the bloodlines from intermingling. Another one of those charming old pureblood dictates that makes little sense to muggleborn me. Ah well, as I'm sure your father will have suggested, seek advice. Either Dora's mother Andromeda or Lorelei will be able to help you if we can't be there to do so."

"The third witch I must leave to fate, my darling son. I've told all of this to Sirius, since if James and I are gone, he as your Godfather will be there to protect you. A copy of our custodial arrangements is going to Gringotts along with our wills, and another copy will be given to our witness, Albus Dumbledore. This is all we can do for you, Harry, except to assure you of our love, now and forever."

Lily's face dissolved into a formless cloud of smoke and was gone. Once again, Harry found himself wrapped in the arms of three young witches, simply holding him as the sobs wracked his body—mourning for a mother he could not even remember knowing. Andromeda and Remus, grieving themselves for friends long gone, sat silently while Harry wept. Luna crooned softly as she held him and Hermione rubbed his back gently. Dora simply laid her head on Harry's shoulder as tears coursed down her cheeks. Minutes passed until the four were calm once more and Harry's weeping came to an end. Once he stopped, Bonecrusher spoke up.

"As you may or may not know, your father's parents had died some years before your birth, in the 1978 Beltain Massacre. Your great-grandfather passed on immediately after the death of his wife, shortly after your parents went into hiding; his will was read at the Samhain Wizengamot meeting on November 1, 1981. As your father was also deceased, all holdings and titles passed to your name, to be held in Trust by Gringotts until you reached your majority. However, as you have inherited the Black Lordship and its privileges and duties, you are also eligible to receive the Potter inheritance as well."

Bonecrusher picked up another small box from the desk and handed it to Harry. Opening it, Harry found another ring, this one made of gold inset with a cabochon-cut ruby, with lions carved into the gold around the gem. Placing this ring on the forefinger of his left hand, he was once again briefly surrounded by a magickal aura. When the aura faded, Bonecrusher continued.

"As with the Black Family, you inherit a seat on the Warlock's Council of the Wizengamot, as well as one on the Hogwarts Board of Governors. There are a number of other inheritances, the details of which we will need to go into at a later date. We will also need to perform a magickal blood test to affirm your mother's testament as to the inheritance regarding the Morrigan Family, and it will take us some time to review the inheritances of that title, should it be confirmed."

At Harry's nod of understanding, Bonecrusher once more tapped Sirius' orb. The image unfroze, and Sirius' will continued.

"OK, pup, I think you've probably had just about all the surprises you want to deal with today, based on what I can guess was in the wills James and Tiger-Lily left for you. So believe me when I'm sorry to say that I've got one more to drop on you. If all the people I requested to attend are with you at this hearing, then you've all probably got a very good idea where this is going."

"Harry, your mum told me about Lee's visions before she went into hiding with Prongs. When I met you and your friends at the end of your third year, I was fairly certain who the third witch in her prophecy was, just from watching the two of you work together. Last Christmas, which was, by the way, the best Christmas I've ever had, any doubts I had vanished. There's only one young witch I know who has never doubted you, who's always been by your side, and who is no doubt sitting beside you right now clutching your hand, aren't you Hermione?"

They all looked over at the couch and started laughing, because Hermione was indeed holding tightly to Harry's right hand, blushing furiously. After a moment, both she and Harry joined in the good-natured laughter.

"As Hermione's parents are Muggles, I could not negotiate a formal Betrothal contract with them, the laws governing them are unfortunately archaic in the extreme. I was however able to use a loophole in the old laws to file an Arrangement-Of- Intent between the two of you. This was intended for situations where there were no surviving kin of one of the intended, but there's nothing specific in the laws that would prevent it for being used for Muggleborns. It has most of the effects of a Betrothal, the only difference being that it must be formalized by a Handfasting by your sixteenth birthday, Harry, as you are the younger of the two. If not, it is considered dissolved by mutual agreement. As the heir to three of the Noble Houses, you're entitled, almost required, to have three wives. Pardon me while I bite back my feelings of envy."

"Seriously though, I'm so sorry that I couldn't do more for you, Harry, and that I wasn't there for you as you deserved and your parents intended. I blame my own impulsiveness first and interfering old men second. Start making your own decisions, but don't be afraid to ask for advice and help from those who care about you. I know you don't know her, but if you trust me at all, learn from Andy as much as you can. What Cissy aspires to be, and Trixie is too bloody nutters to be, Andy was born and bred to be. From what little Dumbledore told your parents and me of the other Prophecy, you will have "the power to vanquish the Dark Lord." Just remember, magick is only one kind of power, there are many others, and Andy is expert in more than you might guess."

"One last favor for your old godfather, Pup; look after the wolf for me. He's the last of the Marauders, and you're the closest thing to family he has left. You may not remember, but 'Unca Mooey' was your favourite storyteller when you were a baby. Lean on each other while you grieve, and you'll make an old mutt very happy."

"Lastly, live your life, love often, kiss those three pretty witches and name your handsomest son after me, and if I see you up here before you're older than Griselda Marchbanks, I'll do the cruelest thing I can think of—I won't protect you from your mum! This is Padfoot from the great beyond, signing off."

Once again a face dissipated into a cloud of smoke. This time, however, there was no emotional collapse. Everyone sat silently, each lost in their own thoughts about what they had heard and their memories of the man who had been the prime mover in this day's events. After a time, Bonecrusher shook himself and looked over at Harry.

"Harry, we need to perform the magickal blood test I spoke of." He handed a small silver knife to Harry, and placed a blank sheet of parchment in front of him. "If you will please put three drops of your blood on this sheet, we can conclude this quickly."

Harry used the knife to prick his left forefinger, and dripped three blood drops onto the parchment. They waited for several minutes, until writing began to appear on the parchment. Once the writing had stabilized, they looked it over.

_**Harry James Potter**_

_**Lord of House Potter (paternal inheritance)**_

_**Lord-Consort of House Morrigan (paternal inheritance)**_

_**Lord of House Black (blood-binding inheritance)**_

_**Patriarch of Clan Gryffindor (paternal inheritance)**_

_**Patriarch of Clan Slytherin (blood-binding inheritance)**_

_**Heir-Sanguinus to Matriarch of Clan Ravenclaw (paternal inheritance)**_

Stunned, they all stood there staring at the results of the test, no one seeming to know what to say. After a few minutes, Andromeda looked up at Bonecrusher, realizing that no one else was going to speak.

"I presume that Gringotts will require some time to confirm this information and to gather the necessary information regarding holdings and inheritance?" At Bonecrusher's rather shaken nod, she clapped her hands sharply. "Very well, then I would suggest that we agree to re-convene here in say, five days time. That should provide Gringotts with sufficient time, as well as giving all parties a chance to come to grips with today's discoveries. Is that agreeable to you, my Lord?"

It took a moment for Harry to realize that she was speaking to him. He swallowed a gulp, squeezed Hermione and Dora's hands tightly, and nodded, unable to bring himself to speak. Andromeda accepted this assent, and began to finalize arrangements with Bonecrusher. As they were finishing, Harry walked up to the desk.

"Bonecrusher, my mother said in her will that she was enclosing a copy of the arrangements that they made for my custody, could I see it please?"

"Certainly," Bonecrusher said and pulled a piece of parchment from one of the files which he handed to Harry.

Harry looked down at the document and began to read. After a moment, his hands started to shake. Luna, noticing this, hurried over and put her arms around him. As she did, he crumpled the parchment and threw it down with a cry of "Damn him to the Pit!" Then, turning in her arms, he buried his face against Luna and began cursing, crying, and shaking with rage.

Remus picked up the parchment, smoothed it out, and read it as Andy looked over his shoulder.

_**Custodial Arrangements—Harry James Potter**_

**Sirius Black- Godfather**

**Lorelei and Edmund Lovegood- Godmother**

**Andromeda and Ted Tonks- Family Friends**

**Frank and Alice Longbottom- Family Friends**

**Madame Amelia Bones- Family Friend**

**Minerva McGonagall and Poppy Pomfrey- Family Friends**

**On no account is Harry to be placed in the custody of Petunia and Vernon Dursley, as we are well aware of their hatred of anything magickal**

**Signed,**

**James Potter**

**Lily Potter**

**Witnessed**

**Albus Percival Wulfric Brian Dumbledore**

**Peter Pettigrew**

Remus just stared at the listing in disbelief. After a moment, he began to speak, his voice shaky.

"I don't understand. This said that Harry was never to be sent to the Dursleys. Is it possible that Professor Dumbledore didn't have a copy after all?"

Andy just shook her head. "Remus, he signed it as one of the witnesses. This is the original document; his magickal signature will be embedded. He knew what James and Lily wanted; he just chose to act against those wishes. Legally, Harry should have been surrendered to Sirius immediately, as he was not under any official suspicion. Barring that, he should have been taken to a neutral safe location, cared for, and the persons on the custodial list summoned for a meeting. Dumbledore did none of this, he never even told me our names were on the list—this is the first I knew of it and I've been trying to get the information ever since Sirius named me as Regent. He placed Harry in direct opposition to his parents' wishes, and did it as quickly and subtly as he could, trying to avoid controversy, and using his reputation as a lever to get away with it."

Andy turned slightly to look Remus in the eye. "It worked, he got away with it. But the violations of Harry's legal rights, not to mention his unethical actions, put it on a level with Bartemius Crouch' imprisonment of Sirius."

Remus jerked as if he'd just been struck. He was clearly uncomfortable with Dumbledore's actions being equated with Crouch's, a man he hated.

"But, isn't it possible that Dumbledore just overreacted to the circumstances? With Voldemort missing or dead, and his followers disordered, perhaps he was just looking to secure Harry's immediate safety."

Andy just shook her head again. "I wish it were just that Remus, honestly I do. When you look at his actions, though, that view is just not supported. If he was concerned about Harry's immediate safety, he could have had Fawkes take him to Godric's Hollow, collected Harry, and brought him back to Hogwarts and secured him there. Once he was safe, the custodial parties could have been notified and a meeting set. That meeting would have been the place for him to lay out his case for the Dursleys' home being safest for Harry, and why."

"Instead, he chose to send Professor McGonagall to watch the Dursley house, and sent Hagrid to collect Harry and take him there. Hagrid is fiercely loyal to Dumbledore, and would have fought to the death to carry out his orders. Even Sirius wouldn't want to go toe-to-toe with a half-giant. From what I've been able to put together it went like this: Harry arrived at the Dursleys, Minerva expressed her fears for his well-being, and Dumbledore fobbed her off with his typical "I know best and can bury you in reasons why." Minerva, in shock from the day's events, was in no shape to put up her usual resistance, and Harry was left there."

"What's more, if you do a little digging at the Child Welfare Bureau in the Ministry, which I did, you find that the following day Dumbledore placed an Executive Lock on Harry's file by fiat, preventing anyone from getting into it without mustering a ¾ vote from the Wizengamot to open it, as there was no Potter Regent on the Warlock's Council. No Remus, this was a well thought out and carefully executed series of events, designed to get and keep Harry where Professor Dumbledore wanted him."

"But, if that's where he would be safest…"

Andy's response was harsh and correct. "The fact remains he had no authority, legal or moral, to make that choice. He was only a _witness_ to the custodial arrangements; he had no control over them, no voice in the decision process. He may be the Chief Warlock of the Wizengamot, but that authority only extends so far. I suspect that if we asked Minerva and Poppy, he never even told them that they did have a say in the matter, far more so than he. His choices were a blatant violation of James and Lily's choices. They knew the threat from the Death Eaters, their custodial choices could have been made aware of the risks, Ted and I certainly would have been; it was not his place to override it."

Remus and Andy stopped talking when they saw Harry had pulled his face away from Luna's body and looked at Bonecrusher. Dora and Hermione had come over and joined the hug, providing what support they could.

"One last question, Bonecrusher. Sirius indicated in his will that there are provisions made for the only heir of one of the Noble Families claiming his title while still underage. Would those apply to House Potter as well, and if so, how?"

Bonecrusher nodded. "Yes, they would apply to House Potter. You should have been informed of this on your fourteenth birthday, by the laws governing inheritances." Bonecrusher picked up a file and looked over the contents. "According to the files, since your location during the summer was Unplottable, information was sent to your Wizarding contact…"

Harry interrupted, "Don't tell me; just let me guess. Albus Dumbledore?" Bonecrusher nodded. "Well, that explains a lot," said Harry. "I guess that now I know one of the reasons that Mrs. Weasley was sent to get our books the last two summers. After all, if I didn't go to Gringotts, there was no need to worry about me finding out about this. Headquarters would be unreachable under the Fidelius, and I'll bet that Dumbledore had a similar ward blocking unapproved owls at the Dursleys. Probably at the Burrow too, at least for our fourth summer. I wonder if he's done the same with my mail at Hogwarts? No reason to believe otherwise. Interfering, meddling old bastard!"

Hermione looked up, a worried expression on her face. "Harry, you don't think that Mrs. Weasley was a part of this, do you?"

Harry thought about it for a moment, then shook his head. "I doubt it, Hermione. She's always been fiercely protective of me, to the point of being smothering. All Dumbledore would have to do is point out how risky it was for me to go out with Voldemort back, which was true, and she'd do whatever he suggested. I don't think he'd risk telling her any other reason. If there's one thing the Weasleys are horrid at, with the possible exception of Fred and George, it's lying."

Harry threw himself back down onto the sofa. The girls sat down with him, continuing to hold him. Harry sat in silence, until he was startled out of his reverie by a hand on his shoulder. He looked up to find Remus standing above him, looking at him nervously.

"Harry, cub, I don't know what to say to you. It's clear that I was wrong, and you have some real grievances where Albus is concerned. It's just… I didn't want to believe it. He's done so much for me; I couldn't accept that he meant to hurt you." Remus' voice trailed off.

"I understand Remus. For what it's worth I don't think that he ever _meant_ to hurt me. I'm just not sure how much he could see _me_ beyond the pawn he needed to use in his fight against Voldemort." Harry looked over at Andromeda, whose hand motions clearly said, 'your choice, Harry'. "If you'll give me your promise that you'll keep my secrets, I want you to come with us when we leave. There are some things that I need to show some other people that I think might be good for you to see as well."

Remus nodded. "I promise, Harry. Marauders honor."

Harry smiled and took him by the arm. "All right, come on then." He led Remus over to the portal door in Bonecrusher's office. Andromeda opened the door and entered, followed by Harry, Remus, Hermione, Luna, and Dora. As the door closed behind them, a hidden door behind Bonecrusher's desk opened. A tall, strongly-muscled Goblin entered. Bonecrusher rose and made a bow to him.

"Ragnok, Battle-Lord, strength to your arms."

"And to yours, Bonecrusher, and glory to your line. So, are the Seers right? Is the time of storms at hand?"

"I think so, My Lord," Bonecrusher replied. "Lord Potter's mother and _her_ Seer spoke of the Faithful, and the opening of the oldest vaults. Our Seers tell us that those are portents of the coming of storms, and the human child who will point the way to the future. And this is what the blood test showed." He handed the parchment to Ragnok.

"So, he is heir to the Lion, the Raven, _and_ the Snake." Ragnok nodded and set the parchment back on Bonecrusher's desk. "I will convene the Council, and ask that the Seers attend us. In the mean time, you have authority to perform the research needed to validate these findings, and to collect all necessary information on the holdings and inheritances. Use whatever resources you require; you speak with my voice."

Bonecrusher bowed once more. "As you command, Battle-Lord."

_**HPatWC HPatWC HPatWC HPatWC HPatWC HPatWC HPatWC HPatWC**_

**_Authors Note-Wolf:_**

Sorry about the long delay but, as I said in my profile, this chapter has been giving me hell. I went through a large number of drafts until I got one I could live with. This isn't the ideal place for the chapter break, as the day is only partly over, but the next section will probably take me another couple of weeks to write, and I didn't want to wait that long to post an update. I expect time within the story to move fairly slowly up until August 1, and then things will speed up to the beginning of the next year at Hogwarts.

By the way, because I know someone will bring it up, I'm aware that JKR has Lily in Gryffindor, not Ravenclaw. Ravenclaw works better for this story, so that's what I'm going with. Besides, the two smartest witches in two successive generations, and neither of them in Ravenclaw? I have a hard time buying that one.


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